Ancient Timeline

  • 10,001 BCE

    Beginning of Paleolithic era

    Beginning of Paleolithic era
    The beginning of the Paleolithic is also known as the Stone Age. Almost Everything was made of stone at this time. There were no advancements yet and takes place from somewhere around 2.5 million years ago to 10000 BCE, there is no exact date as it was a very long time ago.
  • 10,000 BCE

    End of the Paleolithic era

    End of the Paleolithic era
    The discovery of bronze and the beginning of agriculture. This is where the first ideas of civilization came into effect. These events marked the end of the Paleolithic era and the start of something new.
  • 9500 BCE

    Beginning of the Neolithic era

    Beginning of the Neolithic era
    A few different things marked the start of the Neolithic era. One of them is the development of agriculture. This is basically when things started to get created.
  • 8000 BCE

    The domestication of animals

    The domestication of animals
    This is when people started owning animals instead of only hunting them. They would have the animals breed, have them grow up, and later kill them for food. This was a massive step forward for humans in general.
  • 7000 BCE

    The development of weaving and pottery

    The development of weaving and pottery
    People began to start doing things that were more hobbies than needs of survival. The best two examples are weaving and pottery. Pottery gives us a lot of insight into what life could have been like for these people during the Neolithic era.
  • 5000 BCE

    The start of complex civilizations

    The start of complex civilizations
    People started to come together more as a community and help each other out. They built houses around each other and gradually turned it into somewhat of a neighborhood. They were pretty tight nit but it was a very good development for humans.
  • 3500 BCE

    The first cities are built

    The first cities are built
    The first cities were built by the Sumerians. They did this is a few different locations. This was also part of the start of complex civilizations.
  • 3250 BCE

    Invention of writing

    Invention of writing
    Writing was invented in ancient Egypt. They used a specific type of writing called hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs use things that are similar to characters like Chinese uses.
  • 3000 BCE

    The Bronze age

    The Bronze age
    This is marked specifically by the use of bronze tools and or weapons. These could be used for hunting, crafting, and many more things. This is one of the last major events of the Neolithic era
  • 2700 BCE

    Artificial Mummification

    Artificial Mummification
    This is when the Egyptians began wrapping the dead in the fabric to preserve their bodies. Only the wealthy were able to do this as it was very expensive at the time. People with a lot of power were mummified as well.
  • 2550 BCE

    The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza

    The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza
    The Great Pyramid of Giza is an amazing accomplishment for the Egyptians. It is a very big landmark for Egypt and has much detail. The ancient Egyptians built this as a way to praise their gods.
  • 2055 BCE

    Upper and Lower Egypt reunite

    Upper and Lower Egypt reunite
    Egypt's government collapsed around 150 years before this. This caused them to have two different rulers. Mentuhotep II became the ruler of Upper Egypt. He later on took control of all of Egypt.
  • 1800 BCE

    Creation of Judaism

    Creation of Judaism
    This religion gave many people answers that they so desperately wanted. It helped many people understand why things are the way they are. It also gave many someone to look to for guidance.
  • 680 BCE

    The Great wall of China construction

    The Great wall of China construction
    The construction of the Great Wall of China lasted over 2,300 years. It was built to prevent foreign invaders from coming in. It was also built as a barrier between the northern and southern civilizations.
  • 586 BCE

    The destruction of the first temple

    The destruction of the first temple
    The Babylonians destroyed the first temple. They took Jerusalem and burned down the temple and the city. This caused the Jews of the kingdom of Judea to go into exile.
  • 538 BCE

    Construction of the second temple

    Construction of the second temple
    While Cyrus the Great was in power the Jews were able to return and build the second temple. They built the second temple in the same spot where the last temple once stood. The second temple stood for 420 years.
  • 221 BCE

    Beginning of the Qin dynasty

    Beginning of the Qin dynasty
    The Qin dynasty was the first to have centralized power instead of spread out between different kingdoms. They standardized the measurement system. They also standardized the writing system.
  • 206 BCE

    End of the Qin dynasty

    End of the Qin dynasty
    Qin Shi Huang died and after China went into a civil war. Qin Shi Huang's son was killed during the civil war. After this, the empire completely collapsed.
  • 206 BCE

    The beginning of the Han dynasty

    The beginning of the Han dynasty
    The Han dynasty had a very long and strong reign. They are mostly known for the development of civil service and government structures. They also had inventions such as paper and sundials.
  • 70 BCE

    The destruction of second temple

    The destruction of second temple
    The Romans were able to claim Jerusalem. They destroyed the second temple only leaving one wall standing. The one wall is very important and sacred for Jews.