From the origin of man to the invention of writing covers 130,000 years (or 260 ages of 500 years). Prehistory is marked by monuments and other survivals and oral history written down in later ages. History begins when the participants begin writing down their thoughts.
−133,000; Earliest fossils of homo sapiens.
−43,000; A bone flute, N. Africa, earliest surviving musical instrument
−30,000; Beginnings of cave art in Europe.
−18,000; Some cave paintings feature musicians.
−15,000; Cave paintings at Lascaux, France.
−12,000; Earliest surviving pottery, Jomon, Japan.
−10,000; Harvesting of wild cereals in Levant and Syria by Natufian hunter-gatherers.
−9,000; Beginnings of cultivation of wild cereals, Syria;
and management of wild sheep and goats, Zagros Mts (Iraq-Iran border).
−8,000; Cultivation of barley, einkorn and emmer wheat in the Fertile Crescent (Nile, Tigris, Euphrates);
settlement of permanent villages.
−7,500; Flax use to make textiles, Middle East.
−7,000; Beginning of domestication of goats, sheep and pigs, Middle East.
−6,500; Jericho, Jordan valley, a walled city, built round a spring, with population circa 2,500;
Rice cultivation by Yangtze River, China.
−6,200; Earliest evidence of copper smelting, Catal Huyuk, Turkey.
−6,000; Cattle domesticated, Middle East; Beginings of irrigation, foothills of the Zagros Mts;
Beginnings of farming Egypt, India, S. Europe.
−5,500; Cotton cultivated in India.
−5,200; Chickens domesticated, Yellow River, China.
−4,500; Water buffalo domesticated, S. E. China;
Sail, Plough and Potter's wheel invented, Mesopotamia.
−4,300; Earliest megalithic structures, W. Europe;
Towns and cities, centred on temple complexes, begin to develop in Mesopotamia.
−4,000; Horses domesticated, Ukraine.
−3,800; Bronze alloys, copper hardened with arsenic or tin, invented in Mesopotamia.
−3,650; Wheeled vehicles invented, Middle East, S. Asia, Europe.
−3,500; Sumeria: Beginnings of a writing system using pictographs, Uruk, S. Mesopotamia.
S. America: pottery-using cultures develop in the Andes; and fishing villages on the Pacific coast.
−3,400; Hieroglyphic writing developed, Egypt.
−3,100;
Origin of Writing.
−3,100; King Narmer, unified Upper
(south) with Lower (north) Egypt, and founded capital at Memphis. Some identify him with the legendary King Menes,
recorded in Greek sources as the first King of Egypt, others identify him with King Aha.
−3,000 to −2,750;
First dynasty: Kings: Aha, Djer, Djet, Queen Merytneit, Kings: Den, Anedjib, Semerkhet, Qaa.
−3,000; Cuneiform script alphabet of some 600 signs developed from earlier pictograph system, Sumeria.
−3,000; Andes, S. America: Potatoes grown, alpacas and llamas domesticated.
Middle East: meat cooked with herbs, figs, grapes, honey; cucumbers grown.
India: Cotton fabric woven, Indus valley.
−2,920; Copper mines in Sinai.
−2,900; Cuneiform script formalised in its final form, Sumer.
−2,750 to −2,686; Egypt:
Second Dynasty. Kings: Hotepsekhemwy, Raneb, Ninetjer, Sekhemib (= Peribsen?), Sened, Weneg, Khasekham
(= Khasekhemwy?), also possibly Sneferka and Ba.
−2,700; Olive trees grown in Crete, exports olive oil. Chinese yang and yin theory applied to acupuncture and
herbal medicine.
−2,686 to −2,600; Egypt:
Third Dynasty. Kings: Netjerkhet (= Djoser), Sekhemkhet, Khaba, Sanakht, Huni.
Djoser was the builder of the
step pyramid at Saqqara,
whose architect, physician and advisor was Imhotep
&.
−2,600; India: Urban civilisation develops in Indus valley, with pictographic writing.
S. America: Pacific coast, monumental ceremonial centres of Aspero tradition.
Egypt: preservation of fish and poultry by sun-drying.
Sumeria: Rich burials with human saacrifice in the 'Royal Cemetary' at Ur.
−2,600 to −2,450; Egypt conquers Nubia and Lybia.
Fourth Dynasty. Snefru, Khufu,
Djedefre, Khafre, Nebka (= Bikheris), Menkawre, Shepseskaf, Thampthis.
Pyramids were built by pharaohs for
1000 years, over 100 are known. The founder of the 4th dynasty
Snefru
& built at least four.
The three great pyramids
at Giza were built for other rulers of the 4th dynasty.
−2,580; Khufu
&, aka Cheops, becomes ruler of Egypt,
builder of the Great pyramid.
−2,560; Djedefre built a
pyramid but on a different site, now poorly preserved.
−2,540; Khafre, aka Chephren
(fl.c.−2525), builder of the second of the Great Pyramids of Giza, and possibly of the
Great Sphinx
&, although this may still be
uncertain.
−2,510; Menkaure becomes ruler
of Egypt, builder of the third and smallest of the Great Pyramids at Giza.