2nd millennium BC

(3rd millennium BC – 2nd millennium BC – 1st millennium BC – other millennia)

Events

• Second dynasty of Babylon
• First Bantu migrations from west Africa
• The Cushites drive the original inhabitants from Ethiopia, and establish trade relations with Egypt.
• Middle Kingdom in Egypt (2052–1570 BC)
• Hittites Old Kingdom in Anatolia (1900 BC)
• Civilization in Canaan (1800 BC)
• Egyptian domination over Canaan and Syria (1600–1360 BC)
• Athens founded (1235 BC)
• Conquest of Canaan by the Israelites
• Beginnings of Judaism (1200 BC)
• Fall of Troy (traditional date 1184 BC)

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• Development of the alphabet
• Horse domesticated
• Indians developed caste system
• Chinese record the earliest known sighting of a comet
• Earliest known use of Chinese ideograms
• Beginning of the Iron Age: discovery of iron smelting and smithing techniques in Anatolia or the Caucasus in the late 2nd millennium BC.

Cultures

• Olmec civilization in Mesoamerica
• Middle Elamite period
• Oxus civilization
• Andronovo culture, Central Asia
• Aegean civilization
• Mycenaean civilization (c. 1600 BC–1200 BC)
• Beaker culture (ca. 2200 to 1800 BC)
• Unetice culture (ca 1800 to 1600 BC)
• Tumulus culture (ca. 1600 to 1200 BC)
• Urnfield culture (ca. 1300 to 750 BC)

Significant people

• Moses, Israelite Leader of the Exodus. Legendary figure. May have lived between the 18th century BC and the 13th century BC.
• Moses, Israelite Leader of the Exodus. Legendary figure. May have lived between the 18th century BC and the 13th century BC.
• Hammurabi, Babylonian king and law maker(1792–1745 BC)
• Pharaoh Kamose of the Seventeenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1573 BC - 1570 BC).
• Pharaoh Ahmose I of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1570 BC - 1546 BC).
• Pharaoh Amenhotep I of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1546 BC - 1524 BC).
• Pharaoh Thutmose I of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1525 BC - 1518 BC).
• Pharaoh Thutmose II of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1518 BC - 1504 BC).
• Pharaoh Thutmose III of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1503 BC - 1450 BC).
• Pharaoh Hatshepsut of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1498 BC - 1483 BC).
• Pharaoh Amenhotep II of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1453 BC - 1419 BC.
• Pharaoh Thutmose IV of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1453 BC - 1386 BC).
• Pharaoh Amenhotep III of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1386 BC - 1349 BC).
• Pharaoh Akhenaten of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1350 BC - 1334 BC.
• Pharaoh Smenkhkare of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1336 BC - 1334 BC0.
• Pharaoh Tutankhamun of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1334 BC - 1325 BC).
• Pharaoh Ay of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1325 BC - 1321 BC).
• Pharaoh Horemheb of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1321 BC - 1293 BC).
• Pharaoh Ramesses I of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1293 BC - 1291 BC).
• Pharaoh Seti I of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1291 BC - 1278 BC).
• Pharaoh Ramesses II of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1279 BC - 1212 BC).
• Shalmaneser I, King of Assyria (reigned 1274 - 1245 BC).
• Theseus. Legendary King of Athens, credited with the political unification of Attica under Athens (reign estimated to 1234 BC - 1204 BC or 1213 BC).
• Pharaoh Merneptah of the Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt (reigned 1212 BC - 1202 BC).

Centuries

20th century BC 19th century BC 18th century BC 17th century BC 16th century BC 15th century BC 14th century BC 13th century BC 12th century BC 11th century BC