Timeline – Mesopotamia
- 10000 BCE
Beginnings ofagriculturein the Middle East.
- 9000 BCE
Cultivation of wild cereals in theFertile Crescent.
- 8000 BCE
End of the last Ice Age.
- 6500 BCE
Firstpotteryin theNear East.
- c. 6000 BCE
Ninevehis first settled.
- c. 5400 BCE
TheCityofEriduis founded.
- 5000 BCE
Irrigation andagriculturebegin in earnest inMesopotamia.
- c. 5000 BCE
Godin Tepesettled
- c. 5000 BCE
Sumerinhabited by Ubaid people.
- c. 5000 BCE - 4100 BCE
The Ubaid Period inSumer.
- 5000 BCE - 1750 BCE
Sumeriancivilizationin the Tigris-Euphrates valley.
- c. 4500 BCE
TheSumeriansbuilt their firsttemple.
- c. 4500 BCE
TheCityofUrukfounded.
- 4100 BCE - 2900 BCE
UrukPeriod inMesopotamia. Firstcities.
- 4100 BCE - 2900 BCE
UrukPeriod inSumer.
- c. 4000 BCE
First settlement ofUr.
- c. 3600 BCE
Invention ofwritinginSumeratUruk.
- 3400 BCE
Priests become the rulers of Mesopotamiancities.
- 2900 BCE - 2334 BCE
The Early Dynastic Period inSumer.
- 2500 BCE
First Dynasty of Lagash under King Eannutum is firstempireinMesopotamia.
- 2350 BCE
First code of laws by Urukagina, king of Lagash.
- 2334 BCE - 2279 BCE
Sargon ofAkkad(the Great) reigns overMesopotamiaand thus creates the world's firstempire.
- 2334 BCE - 2218 BCE
TheAkkadianEmpirerulesSumer.
- c. 2330 BCE
Sargon ofAkkadsacksUr.
- 2218 BCE - 2047 BCE
The Gutian Period inSumer.
- c. 2150 BCE - 2000 BCE
TheSumerianEpic ofGilgameshwritten on clay tablets.
- 2116 BCE - 2110 BCE
Utchengal's reign overSumerianandAkkadiancities.
- 2111 BCE - 2094 BCE
Ur-Nammu's reign, according to middle chronology.
- 2100 BCE
First ziggurats inUr,Eridu,Uruk, and Nippur.
- c. 2100 BCE
The Code ofUr-Nammu (the earliest known code of laws) is written.
- 2100 BCE
The Reign of Utu-Hegal atUrukinSumerand creation of Sumerian King List.
- c. 2083 BCE - c. 2050 BCE
The Dark Age ofMesopotamia.
- 2047 BCE - 1750 BCE
Third dynasty ofUr.
- 2047 BCE - 1750 BCE
TheUrIII Period inSumer, known as the Sumerian Renaissance.
- c. 2038 BCE
King Shulgi ofUrbuilds his greatwallinSumer.
- 2034 BCE
Amoritesmigrate intoMesopotamia, possibly fromSyriaorArabia.
- 2000 BCE
Domesticated horses introduced inMesopotamia.
- c. 2000 BCE - 1600 BCE
Amoriteperiod inMesopotamia.
- 1900 BCE
Ashur, capial ofAssyria, is founded.
- c. 1900 BCE - c. 1400 BCE
Tradeflourishes betweenMesopotamiaand other regions.
- 1894 BCE
Amoritedynasty established inBabylon.
- 1795 BCE - 1750 BCE
Life ofHammurabi, king ofBabylon.
- c. 1792 BCE
KingHammurabibuildswallsofBabylon.
- 1787 BCE
HammurabiofBabylonconquersUrukand Isin.
- c. 1760 BCE
The Code ofHammurabi: One of the earliest codes of law in the world.
- 1757 BCE
HammurabiofBabylondestroys Mari.
- 1750 BCE
ElamconquersUr.
- 1750 BCE
Elamiteinvasion andAmoritemigration ends theSumeriancivilization.
- 1680 BCE
Hurrians occupyAssyria.
- 1595 BCE
King Mursilis of theHittitessacksBabylon. Begin of Babylonian "dark ages."
- 1595 BCE
HittitessackBabylon, endingAmoriterule.
- 1550 BCE
Kingdom ofMittaniis founded.
- 1500 BCE
Egyptianempireextends to the Euphrates.
- c. 1500 BCE
Rise of the kingdom ofMitanni.
- 1472 BCE
MittaniannexesAssyria.
- 1400 BCE
Assyriaregains its independence.
- c. 1350 BCE
Peak ofMitannipower, it is considered a great nation.
- 1350 BCE - 1250 BCE
TheHittiteempireis at its peak.
- c. 1344 BCE - 1322 BCE
King Suppiluliumas I of theHittitessacks theMitannicapital Washukanni and installs Artatama II as vassal king.
- c. 1321 BCE
WesternMittaniis conquered by theHittites.
- 1285 BCE
Peak ofHittitepower.
- 1220 BCE
Babylonis under Assyrian control.
- 1080 BCE
Aramaeans invadeMesopotamia.
- 1000 BCE
Chaldeans occupyUr.
- 853 BCE
Babyloniankings depend on Assyrian military support.
- 750 BCE - 705 BCE
Peak of the Assyrianempire.
- 734 BCE
Babylonis captured by Chaldeans.
- 729 BCE
Babylonis occupied by Assyrians.
- 612 BCE
Downfall of the Assyrianempire.
- 605 BCE - 562 BCE
Nebuchadnezzar IIis king ofBabylon.
- 539 BCE
Fall ofBabylon, conquered by Cyrus ofPersia. Return of the Jews.
- 500 BCE - 330 BCE
TheAchaemenidEmpirerules inMesopotamia, Persian Royal Road in use.
- 485 BCE
Babylonis destroyed byXerxes, King ofPersia.
- 323 BCE - 31 BCE
TheHellenisticAge.Greek thought and culture infuses with indigenous people.
- 312 BCE
SeleucosconquersBabylonand founds theSeleuciddynasty.
- 304 BCE - 64 BCE
Rule of theSeleucidsinMesopotamia.
- 129 BCE
ParthiansconquerMesopotamia. TheSilk RoadtoChinais now controlled by the Parthians.
- 100 BCE
Ctesiphon becomes Parthian capital.
- 115 CE - 117 CE
RomeoccupiesMesopotamia.
- 224 CE
Sasaniansoverthrow the Parthians.
- 234 CE
EmperorMaximinusThraxis governor ofMesopotamia.
- 637 CE
MuslimConquestofMesopotamia.