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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, after 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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Asian Bronze Age Dynasties
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