Ancient civilizations timeline

5000 BCE

The Sumer form the first towns and cities. They use irrigation to farm large areas of land.
Period: 5000 BCE to 2300 BCE

Mesopotamia Civilization
4000 BCE

The Sumer establish powerful city-states building large ziggurats, a huge structure built at the center of their cities as temples to their gods.
3500 BCE

Much of lower Mesopotamia is inhabited by numerous Sumer city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Kish, Lagash, and Nippu
3300 BCE

The Sumerians invent the first writing. They use pictures for words and inscribe them on clay tablets. .
3200 BCE

The Sumerians begin to use the wheel on vehicles.
3100 BCE

King Narmer founded the first Egyptian dynasty
3100 BCE

Hieroglyphic script developed
Period: 3100 BCE to 30 BCE

Ancient Egypt
3000 BCE

The Sumerians start to implement mathematics using a number system with the base 60.
2950 BCE

First Egyptian pyramid (Step Pyramid at Saqqara) is built for King Zoser
2575 BCE

The Great Pyramids of Egypt were built at Dahshur and Giza
1900 BCE

The Assyrians rise to power in northern Mesopotamia.
1792 BCE

Hammurabi becomes king of Babylon. He establishes the Code of Hammurabi and Babylon soon takes over much of Mesopotamia.
1781 BCE

King Shamshi-Adad of the Assyrians dies. The First Assyrian Empire is soon taken over by the Babylonians.
1539 BCE

Building of the tombs of the Valley of Kings.
1194 BCE

The Trojan war between Troy and Greek causes heavy casualties
1100 BCE

Upper and Lower Egypt split
Period: 800 BCE to 146 BCE

Ancient Greece
776 BCE

The first Olympic held by ancient Greek
Period: 753 BCE to 476

Ancient Roman Empire
600 BCE

First Greek coins are introduced.
Period: 600 BCE to 1900

Persian Empire
570 BCE

Pythagoras was born
550 BCE

Cyrus the Great rises to power and the Persian Empire begins.
539 BCE

Cyrus the Great takes the city of Babylon and lets the Jewish people return to Israel.
525 BCE

Persians conquer Egypt, lead by the Persian king Cambyses II
522 BCE

Darius I becomes King of Persia. He expands the empire and divides it up into states each ruled by a governor called a satrap.
518 BCE

The capital of the Persian Empire was established at Persepolis
508 BCE

Democracy is introduced in Athens by Cleisthenes.
490 BCE

The Greek/Persian Wars
490 BCE

The Battle of Marathon
468 BCE

Theater becomes a very popular form of entertainment in Greece..
432 BCE

The temple to Athena, the Parthenon, is completed in Athens on the Acropolis.
431 BCE

Peloponnesia War between Sparta and Athens
404 BCE

Peloponnesian War (Athens vs Spartas)
386 BCE

Plato, founds the first institution of higher learning in the western world, it's called the Academy.
336 BCE

Alexander the Great becomes king when his father, Philip of Macedon is assassinated.
333 BCE

Alexander the Great invades the land and conquers the Persian Empire.
332 BCE

Alexander the Great conquers Egypt.
323 BCE

The Hellenistic period begins.
323 BCE

Alexander defeats Persia and Egypt
196 BCE

Rosetta Stone, an agreement between a group of priests and the Egyptian government was carved
146 BCE

Rome conquers Greece making it part of the Roman Empire.
30 BCE

Egypt becomes a province of the Roman Empire
642

Egypt conquered by Arabs
969

City of Cairo founded
1351

New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.
1427

The Sun Stone depicting the ages of the five suns of Aztec mythology is carved and set up
Period: 1428 to 1521

Aztec
1438

Pachacunti Inca Yupanqui begins a rebuilding programme in the Inca capital of Cuzco, the religious and administrative capital of the Inca Empire.
Period: 1438 to 1532

Inca Empire
1450

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui founds Machu Picchu in the High Andes.
1470

The Incas conquer the Chimu civilization
1487

The Templo Mayor is completed at Tenochtitlan and inaugurated with the sacrifice of 20,000 captives.
1500

Ottoman Turks ruled Egypt
1507

New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.
1510

The Inca abandon the settlement of Machu Picchu.
1521

The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan falls into the hands of spanish forces led by Cortés.
1526

Civil war between the Inca leaders Waskar and Atahualpa.
1526

Huayna Capac constructs fortresses, religious temples and roads throughout the empire.
1530

The Inca empire reaches its greatest extent.
1532

Battle of Cajamarca, Atahualpa, the last Inca ruler is captured and held for ransom by Spanish forces led by Pizarro.
1533

Pizarro takes the Inca capital of Cuzco.
1638

The Crusades - Persians (muslim) vs. Roman Catholics

The Sumer form the first towns and cities. They use irrigation to farm large areas of land.

Mesopotamia Civilization

The Sumer establish powerful city-states building large ziggurats, a huge structure built at the center of their cities as temples to their gods.

Much of lower Mesopotamia is inhabited by numerous Sumer city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Kish, Lagash, and Nippu

The Sumerians invent the first writing. They use pictures for words and inscribe them on clay tablets. .

The Sumerians begin to use the wheel on vehicles.

King Narmer founded the first Egyptian dynasty

Hieroglyphic script developed

Ancient Egypt

The Sumerians start to implement mathematics using a number system with the base 60.

First Egyptian pyramid (Step Pyramid at Saqqara) is built for King Zoser

The Great Pyramids of Egypt were built at Dahshur and Giza

The Assyrians rise to power in northern Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi becomes king of Babylon. He establishes the Code of Hammurabi and Babylon soon takes over much of Mesopotamia.

King Shamshi-Adad of the Assyrians dies. The First Assyrian Empire is soon taken over by the Babylonians.

Building of the tombs of the Valley of Kings.

The Trojan war between Troy and Greek causes heavy casualties

Upper and Lower Egypt split

Ancient Greece

The first Olympic held by ancient Greek

Ancient Roman Empire

First Greek coins are introduced.

Persian Empire

Pythagoras was born

Cyrus the Great rises to power and the Persian Empire begins.

Cyrus the Great takes the city of Babylon and lets the Jewish people return to Israel.

Persians conquer Egypt, lead by the Persian king Cambyses II

Darius I becomes King of Persia. He expands the empire and divides it up into states each ruled by a governor called a satrap.

The capital of the Persian Empire was established at Persepolis

Democracy is introduced in Athens by Cleisthenes.

The Greek/Persian Wars

The Battle of Marathon

Theater becomes a very popular form of entertainment in Greece..

The temple to Athena, the Parthenon, is completed in Athens on the Acropolis.

Peloponnesia War between Sparta and Athens

Peloponnesian War (Athens vs Spartas)

Plato, founds the first institution of higher learning in the western world, it's called the Academy.

Alexander the Great becomes king when his father, Philip of Macedon is assassinated.

Alexander the Great invades the land and conquers the Persian Empire.

Alexander the Great conquers Egypt.

The Hellenistic period begins.

Alexander defeats Persia and Egypt

Rosetta Stone, an agreement between a group of priests and the Egyptian government was carved

Rome conquers Greece making it part of the Roman Empire.

Egypt becomes a province of the Roman Empire

Egypt conquered by Arabs

City of Cairo founded

New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.

The Sun Stone depicting the ages of the five suns of Aztec mythology is carved and set up

Aztec

Pachacunti Inca Yupanqui begins a rebuilding programme in the Inca capital of Cuzco, the religious and administrative capital of the Inca Empire.

Inca Empire

Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui founds Machu Picchu in the High Andes.

The Incas conquer the Chimu civilization

The Templo Mayor is completed at Tenochtitlan and inaugurated with the sacrifice of 20,000 captives.

Ottoman Turks ruled Egypt

New Fire Ceremony celebrated by the Aztecs.

The Inca abandon the settlement of Machu Picchu.

The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan falls into the hands of spanish forces led by Cortés.

Civil war between the Inca leaders Waskar and Atahualpa.

Huayna Capac constructs fortresses, religious temples and roads throughout the empire.

The Inca empire reaches its greatest extent.

Battle of Cajamarca, Atahualpa, the last Inca ruler is captured and held for ransom by Spanish forces led by Pizarro.

Pizarro takes the Inca capital of Cuzco.

The Crusades - Persians (muslim) vs. Roman Catholics