3rd millennium BC

3rd millennium BC

The 3rd millennium BC spanned the years 3000 through 2001 BC. This period of time corresponds to the Early to Middle Bronze Age, characterized by the early empires in the Ancient Near East. In Ancient Egypt, the Early Dynastic Period is followed by the Old Kingdom. In Mesopotamia, the Early Dynastic Period is followed by the Akkadian Empire.

World population growth relaxes after the burst due to the Neolithic Revolution. World population is largely stable, at roughly 60 million, with a slow overall growth rate at roughly 0.03% p.a.

Overview
Anatolia, Caucasus, Elam, Egypt, Levant, Mesopotamia, Sistan, Canaan Late Bronze Age collapse

Indus Valley Civilisation Bronze Age India Ochre Coloured Pottery Cemetery H Europe (c. 3200–600 BC)

Aegean (Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean), Caucasus, Catacomb culture, Srubnaya culture, Beaker culture, Apennine culture, Terramare culture, Unetice culture, Tumulus culture, Urnfield culture, Proto-Villanovan culture, Hallstatt culture, Canegrate culture, Golasecca culture, Atlantic Bronze Age, Bronze Age Britain, Nordic Bronze Age East Asia (c. 3100–300 BC)

Erlitou, Erligang, Gojoseon, Jomon, Majiayao, Mumun, Qijia, Siwa, Wucheng, Xindian, Yueshi arsenical bronze writing literature word chariot ↓Iron Age

The Bronze Age began in the Ancient Near East roughly between 3000 BC and 2500 BC. The previous millennium had seen the emergence of advanced, urbanized civilizations, new bronze metallurgy extending the productivity of agricultural work, and highly developed ways of communication in the form of writing. In the 3rd millennium BC, the growth of these riches, both intellectually and physically, became a source of contention on a political stage, and rulers sought the accumulation of more wealth and more power. Along with this came the first appearances of monumental architecture, imperialism, organized absolutism and internal revolution.

The civilizations of Sumer and Akkad in Mesopotamia became a collection of volatile city-states in which warfare was common. Uninterrupted conflicts drained all available resources, energies and populations. In this millennium, larger empires succeeded the last, and conquerors grew in stature until the great Sargon of Akkad pushed his empire to the whole of Mesopotamia and beyond. It would not be surpassed in size until Assyrian times 1,500 years later.

In the Old Kingdom of Egypt, the Egyptian pyramids were constructed and would remain the tallest and largest human constructions for thousands of years. Also in Egypt, pharaohs began to posture themselves as living gods made of an essence different from that of other human beings. Even in Europe, which was still largely neolithic during the same period, the builders of megaliths were constructing giant monuments of their own. In the Near East and the Occident during the 3rd millennium BC, limits were being pushed by architects and rulers.

Towards the close of the millennium, Egypt became the stage of the first popular revolution recorded in history. After lengthy wars, the Sumerians recognized the benefits of unification into a stable form of national government and became a relatively peaceful, well-organized, complex technocratic state called the 3rd dynasty of Ur. This dynasty was later to become involved with a wave of nomadic invaders known as the Amorites, who were to play a major role in the region during the following centuries.

Cultures
Minoan Snake Goddess. Near East Further information: Early Bronze Age c. 2900–2350 BC: Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia) c. 2334–2154 BC: Akkadian Empire 3100–2686 BC: Early Dynastic Period (Egypt) c. 2700 BC–1600 BC: Old Elamite period. 2686–2181 BC Old Kingdom of Egypt 2181–2055 BC First Intermediate Period of Egypt c. 3000 BC: Nubian A-Group Culture comes to an end. c. 2300 BC: Nubian C-Group culture. Europe Further information: Neolithic Europe c. 3200 BC: Cycladic culture in Aegean islands of Greece. c. 3200 BC–3100 BC: Helladic culture in mainland Greece. c. 3200 BC–2800 BC: Ozieri culture. Corded Ware culture (also Battle-axe culture, or Single Grave culture). Late Maikop culture. Late Vinca culture. Globular Amphora culture. Early Beaker culture. Yamnaya culture, Catacomb culture, likely loci of Indo-European Satemization. The Sintashta-Petrovka-Arkaim culture emerges from the Catacomb culture from about 2200 BC, likely locus of Proto-Indo-Iranian. Butmir culture. Late Funnelbeaker culture. Baden culture. Gaudo culture. South Asia 2800 BC–2600 BC: Harappan 2. 2600 BC–1900 BC: Harappan 3 (Mature Harappan). East and Southeast Asia Longshan culture Baodun culture Shijiahe culture Liangzhu culture Majiayao culture Lower Xiajiadian culture c. 2500 BC: Austronesian peoples from Formosa colonize Luzon in northern Philippines. Americas Mesoamerican Archaic period Old Copper Complex Norte Chico civilization. Sub-Saharan Africa Savanna Pastoral Neolithic Elmenteitan

Significant people
Imhotep, first known architect, physician and engineer in Ancient history. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of China. Djoser, king of Egypt, commissions the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. Gilgamesh, fifth king of the First Dynasty of Uruk, immortalized in the world's first literary work the Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 26th century BC). Khufu, king of Egypt, builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Urukagina, king of Lagash, creates the first known judicial code (24th century BC). Lugalsaggizi, king of Uruk and Umma conquers Lagash (2371 BC–2347 BC). Sargon the Great, founder of the empire of Akkad and Sumer (2371 BC–2316 BC middle chronology). Ur-Nammu founder of the 3rd dynasty of Ur (2112 BC–2095 BC middle chronology).

== Inventions, discoveries, introductions==

Great Pyramid of Giza, Kheops.

The Medicine Wheel in Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming, United States. c. 3500 BC: Indus script develops in Indus Valley Civilization. Pottery develops in Americas (30th century BC). c. 3000 BC: Potter's wheel appears in Mesopotamia. 2900 BC–2400 BC: Sumerians invent phonogram (linguistics). 2650 BC: Reservoirs, script, metals and pottery used in the city of Dholavira in Indus Valley Civilization. c. 2300 BC: Metals are used in Northern Europe. Chinese record a comet. Building of the Great Pyramid of Giza (26th century BC). Sails used on ships (20th century BC). First ziggurats built in Sumer. Near East civilizations enter Bronze Age around 3000 BC. Oldest known medicine wheel constructed in the Americas. First Copper (~2500 BC) and then Bronze (~2000 BC) and other types of metallurgy are introduced to Ireland. Domestication of the horse with the coming of Indo-Europeans in central Eurasia. The chariot emerges in Central Asia just before 2000 BC. The camel (dromedary) domesticated (though widespread use took until mid-to-late 2nd millennium BC). Indoor plumbing and sewage in the Indus Valley Civilization. Sumerian medicine discovers the healing qualities of mineral springs. Weaving loom known in Europe. Sumerian numerical system based on multiples of 6 and 12. Egyptians discover use of papyrus. Austronesian peoples have developed lateen sail, and the out-rigger as well as extensive development of celestial navigation systems.[citation needed] Oldest known evidence of the inhalation of cannabis smoke, as indicated by charred cannabis seeds found in a ritual brazier at a burial site in present-day Romania.

Cultural landmarks
Stonehenge. c. 3000 BC–2500 BC: Tomb, Newgrange, Ireland, was built. c. 2750 BC–1500 BC: Stonehenge, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, is built. Completion of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Completion of first phase of Stonehenge monument in England. Era of Buena Vista pyramid/observatory in Peru. The Sydney rock engravings in Sydney, Australia, which are examples of Aboriginal rock art, date from around 3000 BC.