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6000 BCE
5500 BCE
5000 BCE
4500 BCE
4000 BCE
3500 BCE
3000 BCE
2500 BCE
2000 BCE
1500 BCE
1000 BCE
500 BCE
6000 BCE: Burial of the dead in Egypt.
6000 BCE: Earliest Egyptian mastabas dug at Saqqara.
5000 BCE: Evidence of burial in Sumer.
5000 BCE: Dead buried with grave goods at Banpo Village, China.
4300 BCE: First megalithic tombs in Europe.
4000 BCE: Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery begins in Sligo, Ireland.
3300 BCE: Early Harappan Civilization of India practices burial of the dead.
3300 BCE: Newgrange Burial Mound constructed in Ireland.
3000 BCE: Stone tombs on Crete.
3000 BCE: Tomb of the Eagles created in Scotland.
3000 BCE - 2800 BCE: Maeshowe Passage Grave completed in Scotland.
3000 BCE - 2000 BCE: First rock-cut burial chambers at Akrotiri.
2800 BCE: Later Harappan Civilization turns to cremation over burial.
2600 BCE: Mayan Culture buries their dead individually under homes.
2600 BCE - 2000 BCE: The Royal Graves of Ur used in Sumer.
2560 BCE: The Great Pyramid of Giza is constructed by Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops).
1700 BCE - 1600 BCE: First shaft graves constructed at Mycenae.
1500 BCE - 1400 BCE: First palace structure and Treasury of Atreus tomb built at Mycenae.
1500 BCE: First tholos tombs built at Mycenae.
1100 BCE: Greeks implement use of individual tombs and graves.
700 BCE: Tomb of Mayan King K'utz Chman of Retalhuleu constructed in Guatemala.
500 BCE - 300 BCE: Rich Scythian burials.