In China the Xia Dynasty is dated about 2205 to
1766 B.C.E.*
The Shang Dynasty is dated about 1750 to 1045 B.C.E. During this period:
- In Egypt:
- Queen Hatshepsut ruled from 1515 to 1480 B.C.E.
- Famous pharaohs, such as Amenhotep IV and
Tutankhamen, ruled
- The "Story of Sinuhe", oldest form of
a novel, was written
- In the Middle East:
- Hammurabi was king of Babylonia in the 18th
century B.C.E.
- Persian Empire began
- Epic of Gilgamesh was recorded
- In the Indus Valley:
- "Post-Indus" civilization
- The Upanishad tradition produced the
hymns of the Rig Veda
- In Latin America:
- Olmec civilization arose in about 1200 B.C.E.
- In Europe:
- Teutonic settlements in southern Norway
- Beginnings of a bronze age in Scandinavia and
western Europe
In China, fter the Shang came the Western Zhou
(1045-711 B.C.E.) and the Eastern Zhou, which is usually divided into two periods. The
"Spring and Autumn Period" (722-481 B.C.E.) is named for a history written at
that time. The Warring States period (480-222 B.C.E.) saw the struggle between
kingdoms. During that period:
- In the Mediterranean:
- Pericles (500-429 B.C.E.) led Athens
- Greek art and philosophy developed
- Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.E.)
- In India:
- Mahavira Jina founds Jainism; opposes caste system
- Indian surgeon Susrata performs cataract operations (500 B.C.E.)
- The epic Mahabharata written
- Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha) (550-480 B.C.E.)
- In Latin America:
- Mexican sun temple Atetello built at Teotihuacan (300 B.C.E.)
- Late Preclassic period of Maya civilization (300B.C.E.-250 A.D.)
with temple-pyramids, elaborate calendar, plychrome pottery
*B.C.E. stands for "Before the
Common Era", with the "Common Era" beginning in the year "1" as
our current calendars go from "1" to 1999 C.E.
This means 5000 B.C.E. is a time about 7,000 years ago.
There is a more detailed chronology of China
at the "Exploring Ancient World Cultures" site maintained by Anthony F. Beavers
at the University of Evansville.
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© Diane Wang, 1998
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