Mesopotamia

Definition

Mesopotamia (from the Greek, meaning 'between two rivers') was an ancient region located in the eastern Mediterranean bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and in the southeast by the Arabian Plateau, corresponding to modern-day Iraq and parts of Iran, Syria, Kuwait, and Turkey and known as the Fertile Crescent and the cradle of civilization.

More about: Mesopotamia

Timeline

  • c. 11700 BCE
    End of the most recent glacial episode within the current Quaternary Ice Age.
  • 10000 BCE
    Beginnings of agriculture in the Middle East.
  • 9000 BCE
    Cultivation of wild cereals in the Fertile Crescent.
  • 8000 BCE
    Ovens in use in the Near East are applied to pottery production.
  • 6000 BCE - 1750 BCE
    Sumerian civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates valley.
  • c. 6000 BCE
    Nineveh is first settled.
  • c. 5400 BCE
    The City of Eridu is founded.
  • c. 5000 BCE
    Godin Tepe settled.
  • 5000 BCE
    Irrigation and agriculture begin in earnest in Mesopotamia.
  • c. 5000 BCE
    Sumer inhabited by Ubaid people.
  • c. 5000 BCE - 4100 BCE
    The Ubaid Period in Sumer.
  • c. 4500 BCE
    The City of Uruk founded.
  • c. 4500 BCE
    The Sumerians built their first temple.
  • 4100 BCE - 2900 BCE
    Uruk Period in Mesopotamia. First cities.
  • 4100 BCE - 2900 BCE
    Uruk Period in Sumer.
  • c. 4000 BCE
    First settlement of Ur.
  • c. 3600 BCE
    Invention of writing in Sumer at Uruk.
  • 3400 BCE
    Priests become the rulers of Mesopotamian cities.
  • c. 3000 BCE - c. 2900 BCE
    Mari, the earliest known planned city, is built near the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
  • 2900 BCE - 2334 BCE
    The Early Dynastic Period in Sumer.
  • 2500 BCE
    First Dynasty of Lagash under King Eannutum is first empire in Mesopotamia.
  • c. 2400 BCE
    Earliest Sumerian sources to mention migrating Amorites in Mesopotamia.
  • 2350 BCE
    First code of laws by Urukagina, king of Lagash.
  • 2334 BCE - 2279 BCE
    Sargon of Akkad (the Great) reigns over Mesopotamia and thus creates the world's first empire.
  • 2334 BCE - 2218 BCE
    The Akkadian Empire rules Sumer.
  • c. 2330 BCE
    Sargon of Akkad sacks Ur.
  • 2218 BCE - 2047 BCE
    The Gutian Period in Sumer.
  • c. 2150 BCE - c. 1400 BCE
    The tales of Gilgamesh written which inform The Epic of Gilgamesh
  • 2100 BCE
    Ziggurats in use in Sumerian cities of Eridu, Uruk, Ur, Nippur and elsewhere
  • 2100 BCE
    The Reign of Utu-Hegal at Uruk in Sumer and creation of Sumerian King List.
  • c. 2100 BCE - c. 2050 BCE
    The Code of Ur-Nammu (the oldest extant code of laws) is written.
  • c. 2083 BCE - c. 2050 BCE
    The Dark Age of Mesopotamia.
  • c. 2055 BCE - 2047 BCE
    Utu Hegal's reign over Sumerian and Akkadian cities.
  • 2047 BCE - 1750 BCE
    The Ur III Period in Sumer, known as the Sumerian Renaissance.
  • 2047 BCE - 1750 BCE
    Third dynasty of Ur.
  • 2047 BCE - 2030 BCE
    Ur-Nammu's reign over Sumer.
  • c. 2038 BCE
    King Shulgi of Ur builds his great wall in Sumer.
  • 2000 BCE
    Domesticated horses introduced in Mesopotamia.
  • c. 2000 BCE - 1600 BCE
    Amorite period in Mesopotamia.
  • 1900 BCE
    Ashur, capial of Assyria, is founded.
  • c. 1900 BCE - c. 1400 BCE
    Trade flourishes between Mesopotamia and other regions.
  • 1894 BCE
    Amorite dynasty established in Babylon.
  • 1795 BCE - 1750 BCE
    Reign of Hammurabi, king of Babylon.
  • c. 1792 BCE
    King Hammurabi builds walls of Babylon.
  • 1787 BCE
    Hammurabi of Babylon conquers Uruk and Isin.
  • c. 1772 BCE
    The Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest codes of law in the world.
  • c. 1760 BCE - c. 1757 BCE
    Hammurabi of Babylon destroys the city of Mari. The people of Mari are spared according to Hammurabi.
  • 1755 BCE
    Hammurabi rules the whole of Mesopotamia from Babylon.
  • 1750 BCE
    Elamite invasion and Amorite migration ends the Sumerian civilization.
  • c. 1750 BCE
    Elam conquers Ur.
  • 1680 BCE
    Hurrians occupy Assyria.
  • 1595 BCE
    King Mursilis of the Hittites sacks Babylon. Begin of Babylonian "dark ages."
  • 1595 BCE
    Hittites under Mursilli I sack Babylon, ending Amorite rule.
  • 1550 BCE
    The Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni is founded.
  • c. 1500 BCE
    Rise of the kingdom of Mitanni.
  • 1500 BCE
    Egyptian empire extends to the Euphrates.
  • 1472 BCE
    Mittani annexes Assyria.
  • 1400 BCE
    Assyria regains its independence.
  • c. 1350 BCE
    Peak of Mitanni power, it is considered a great nation.
  • 1350 BCE - 1250 BCE
    The Hittite Empire is at its peak.
  • c. 1344 BCE - 1322 BCE
    King Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites sacks the Mitanni capital Washukanni and installs Artatama II as vassal king.
  • c. 1321 BCE
    Western Mittani is conquered by the Hittites.
  • 1285 BCE
    Peak of Hittite power.
  • 1244 BCE - 1208 BCE
    Reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I, King of Assyria.
  • 1220 BCE
    Babylon is under Assyrian control.
  • 1080 BCE
    Aramaeans invade Mesopotamia.
  • 1000 BCE
    Chaldeans occupy Ur.
  • 853 BCE
    Babylonian kings depend on Assyrian military support.
  • 734 BCE
    Babylon is captured by Chaldeans.
  • 729 BCE
    Babylon is occupied by Assyrians.
  • 722 BCE - 705 BCE
    Peak of the Assyrian empire under the reign of Sargon II.
  • 612 BCE
    Downfall of the Assyrian empire.
  • 605 BCE - 562 BCE
    Nebuchadnezzar II is king of Babylon.
  • 539 BCE
    Fall of Babylon, conquered by Cyrus of Persia. Return of the Jews.
  • 500 BCE - 330 BCE
    The Achaemenid Empire rules in Mesopotamia, Persian Royal Road in use.
  • 485 BCE
    Babylon is destroyed by Xerxes, King of Persia.
  • 323 BCE - 31 BCE
    The Hellenistic Age. Greek thought and culture infuses with indigenous people.
  • 312 BCE
    Seleucos conquers Babylon and founds the Seleucid dynasty.
  • c. 312 BCE - 63 BCE
    Duration of the Seleucid Empire.
  • 129 BCE
    Parthians conquer Mesopotamia. The Silk Road to China is now controlled by the Parthians.
  • 58 BCE - 57 BCE
    Ctesiphon becomes Parthian capital during the reign of Orodes II.
  • 115 CE - 117 CE
    Rome occupies Mesopotamia.
  • 224 CE
    Sasanians overthrow the Parthians.
  • 234 CE
    Emperor Maximinus Thrax is governor of Mesopotamia.
  • 651 CE
    Muslim Conquest of Mesopotamia.
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