AP World History Timeline

Homo Sapiens(200,000BCE~Modern time)

200,000 BCE

The definition of Homo sapiens is “consciously thinking human”. They came after Homo Erectus were extinct. Homo sapiens possessed a remarkable intelligence that allowed them to survive for long period of time. Modern people are distinguished as Homo sapiens and our brains have evolved over time.

Natufian Complex Settlement(13,500 BCE~ 10,500 BCE)

10,500 BCE

It extended over much of present day Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. They were pre-agricultural culture and practiced the collection of barely and wheat. They also had high population compare to other Neolithic communities.

Paleolithic Age(2.5 million BCE~10,000 BCE)

10,000 BCE

It was the longest portion of time period in our history and also does not have solid written evidence. In this period, people hunted and gathered food for their survival and the first hominids evolved. Since men and women both worked collaboratively to survive, there were no social distinction or specialized jobs.

Hunting and Gathering(10,000 BCE~ 8000 BCE)

10,000 BCE

People in Paleolithic era used this method for their survival. They relied on hunting wild animals, fishing, and gathering vegetables and fruits. Before the settlement, all the early people hunted and gathered and migrated often since they had to follow their prey.

Domestication of Plants and Animals(10,000 BCE~ Modern days)

10,000 BCE

After Neolithic Revolution, early human beings also domesticated plants and animals along with farming. Domestication of plants allowed people to harvest vast amount of crops which led to population increase. Also, people used domesticated animals in various ways.

Agrarian/Neolithic revolution(10,000 BCE~ 5,000 BCE)

10,000 BCE

Agrarian revolution can also be referred as Neolithic revolution. It was one of the most significant changes in human history. People started agriculture and settled in one place instead of roaming around to hunt and gather. This led to the domestication of animals and plants.

Early Sudanic Agriculture( About after 9000BCE)

9000 BCE

People of Sudan domesticated cattle and became nomadic herders. They also collected grains for their food. However, after 7500 BCE, they permanently settled and began agriculture. They had their own special way of death ritual that they did when their king died.

Jericho( Before 8,000 BCE)

8000 BCE

It is one of the earliest known neolithic villages, near to the present- day Israel. They had huge population compared to other groups and farmed wheat and barley. It also engaged in trades such as salt and volcanic glass.

Patoralism(About 7,000 BCE)

7000 BCE

It is the branch of agriculture concerned with raising livestock. People in Neolithic age used these domestic animals for their benefits, such as using them for farming. Pastoralism allowed people who lived in arid land to be productive.

Sedentary Farming (about 7,000BCE)

7000 BCE

It is a method of agriculture by farming the same land. People who did sedentary farming controlled forest fires to produce arable land for farming. This had huge influence on people since they could used non-fertile land for agriculture.

Sumer Civilization( 5,000 BCE~ 1595 BCE)

5000 BCE

Sumer civilization was located in the southern half of Mesopotamia. Sumerians had elaborate irrigation system, which allowed them to support rapidly increasing human population. They spoke tongues in the Semitic family along with Aramaic, Hebrew and Phoenician. Later on, Sumer was consisted of city states which dominated the public affair of Mesopotamia.

Yangshao Society(5000 BCE~3000 BCE)

5000 BCE

In early China, there were Yangshao society and Xia dynasty. Yangshao society was located in the middle region of Yellow River valley, and flourished because of their fertile lands.

The Wheel, the Plow, and Bronze( 4,000 BCE~3,000 BCE)

4000 BCE

Some craftsmen invented a wheel to improve their transportation. The Sumer craftsmen created wheeled cart and wagon which allowed them to carry loads of goods. Also, the chariot was invented as the transportation for the war. The plow was invented to improve agriculture. By inventing a plow, people were able to farm in a fertile land. Lastly, bronze was created and was used in various ways. It was used for weapons, agriculture tools, and also as jewelries.

Cuneiform( 3,500 BCE~ 3,000 BCE)

3500 BCE

Cuneiform is one of the earliest form of writing and was used in Mesopotamia. In a cuneiform, there are symbols and pictographs to show their writing. Cuneiform allowed scholars to know more about the history of Mesopotamia.

Ziggurats (3200 BCE)

3200 BCE

It is a distinctive stepped pyramids which was used as temples and altars. In Urak, which is a city state of Sumer, ziggurats were used to honor the fertility goddess Inanna. It was the heart of all the great Mesopotamian cities.

City States( 3200 BCE~ 2350 BCE)

3200 BCE

There were many city states that consisted Sumer civilization. The main cities were Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Nippur, and Kish. These city states maintained order and ensured inhabitants by domination of public affairs in Mesopotamia. They also extended their authority to neighboring territories and over saw affairs in the surrounding agricultural regions.

Pharaohs(3,150 BCE~ 350 BCE)

3150 BCE

Pharaohs were the kings and queens of ancient Egypt. They were the people who had absolute power in a country and was both political and religious leader. There were famous pharaohs such as Cleopatra. Interestingly, unlike any other civilizations, there were two female pharaohs in ancient Egypt.

The Unification of Egypt (About 3100 BCE)

3100 BCE

Around 3100 BCE, a person named Menes unified the ancient Egypt. Menes was not from a royal family. He was a minor official who rose to power. Menes found the city of Memphis, which is next to Cairo.

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro (3000 BCE~ 1900 BCE)

3000 BCE

Harappa and Mohenjo- Daro were two largest cities in Harappan society. They both had city walls, and fortified citadel with forms of grain. From this, we can infer that these two cities were the center of economic and political of Harappan society.

Phoenicians( 3000BCE~ 800 BCE)

3000 BCE

Phoenicians lived in the Mediterranean area near water. Since they lived near water, there sailing skills were well developed. Phoenicians were famous for their trading skills. Instead of developing their military, Phoenicians concentrated on trades and became prosperous. Also, they were the first people to create the alphabet that we are using right now.

The Olmec( 3000 BCE~ 2000 BCE)

3000 BCE

The Olmec were located in the Mesoamerica and was also called as "Rubber people" since it is the definition of Olmec. There were lots of complex temples, pyramids, altars and stone sculptures for religious ceremony.The most famous thing in the Olmec society is colossal human heads. It is said that it is the sculpture of the rulers.

Indus(About 2500 BCE)

2500 BCE

Indus valley civilization is one of the most well-known civilizations. People who lived around the Indus valley used its water for their agriculture and was able to prosper. People domesticated wheat and barley. They also domesticated animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Harappan society was their main city.

Sargon of Akkad (2370 BCE~ 2315 BCE)

2370 BCE

He was the creator of empire in Mesopotamia. He began his career as the minister to the king of Kish. As he successfully coupe against his own king, and became the king himself.

The Xia Dynasty( About 2200 BCE)

2200 BCE

There are not much evidence of Xia dynasty and some consider this dynasty to be a part of myth. The Xia dynasty made one of the first efforts to organize public life in China on a large scale. They established a precedent for hereditary monarchical rule. It is known that Yu, the a=sage king, was the founder of the dynasty.

Epic of Gilgamesh( 2150 BCE~ 1400 BCE)

2150 BCE

The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Mesopotamia. This poem talks about the hero, Gilgamesh's adventure. The adventure is about killing an evil monsters with his friend, Enkindu.

The Maya( 1800 BCE~ 300 BCE)

1800 BCE

Mayans were similar to Olmec. They were very religious like Olmec and had various temples and pyramids. There were two prominent cities which were Kaminaljuyu and Teotihuacan. These two cities were the main center of political issues. Also, Mayans are famous for human sacrifice. They believed that human blood sacrifice will make the gods to rain. Popol Vuh is a Mayan creation myth and it is said that gods made Mayans with maize and water.

Hammurabi Code of Law( 1792 BCE~ 1750 BCE)

1792 BCE

Hammurabi code of law is famous for its severe punishments on violators. The code relies on the principle of lex talionis, which means "Law of retaliation". Just like this, the punishment is really harsh just for minor crime.

The Shang Dynasty( 1766 BCE~ 1122 BCE)

1766 BCE

There are many evidence about Shang dynasty since there are many written records as well as the materials.The bronze metallurgy allowed Shang dynasty to displace Xia dynasty. Shang dynasty continued their ruling by not spreading the information about bronze metallurgy. The early capital of Shang was Ao and the next was Yin.

Dravidian( Around 1,500 BCE)

1500 BCE

Dravidians were people who lived in the southern part of India. They often clashed with Indo- Europeans but also traded a lot with them. After 1500 BCE, Dravidian and Indo- European people intermarried and influenced Indian society to the present day.

Early Aryan Society( Around 1500 BCE)

1500 BCE

The early Aryans heavily depended on pastoral economy instead of agriculture. They valued horses and herds of cattle. Horses were valuable since it was used as the way of transportation. Aryans ate both dairy products and meat for their meal.

The Zhou Dynasty( 1122 BCE~ 256 BCE)

1122 BCE

The most important thing that Zhou dynasty had was the mandate of heaven. It basically talks about how the ruler is the link between heaven and earth. It is also said that the leader can be replaced if they fail their duties. The Zhou rulers relied on a decentralized administration since the land they had to control was so big. However, at the end, Zhou dynasty declined because they couldn't control the production of iron becoming public.

Caste System (About 1000 BCE)

1000 BCE

Caste system is distinguishing people in classes. There are 5 classes which are brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras, and untouchable. Brahmins are considered as the noble and rich people while untouchables are considered as worthless.

Babylonian Empire( 605 BCE~ 539 BCE)

605 BCE

After the decline of Assyrian empire, the Babylonian Empire became the strongest empire in the ancient civilizations. Its capital was Babylon and lots of trades were occurred there. Babylonian empire dominated Mesopotamia until 1600 BCE.

Andean Society( 1000 BCE~ 700 BCE)

Sep 22, 1000

The early societies of Andean occupied long, narrow territories between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The Chavin cult was a complex city in a society. During this time, the craftsmen and metallurgy expanded. Also, Mochica Sate is in the valley of the mocha River and dominated the coasts and valeys of north Peru.

Catal Huyuk (7250 BCE~ 5400 BCE)

Sep 22, 7250

Catal Huyuk is considered as the best settlement during Neolithic age. It featured job specializations such as making crafts. Cities also had professional priest to maintain the tradition and rituals. Catal Hyuk was hard to get invaded since they did not have any streets or ground-level doors.