I. PREHISTORY
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PERIOD |
MESOPOTAMIA |
TECHNICAL AND |
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DATES |
NORTH |
SOUTH |
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c. 70000 |
MIDDLE |
Barda Balka |
Neanderthal hunter-gatherers living in caves and rock shelters. |
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Shanidar D |
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Hazar Merd |
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35000 |
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UPPER |
Shanidar C |
Homo sapiens sapiens. Improvement and diversification of stone implements. Wider food spectrum. |
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25000 |
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(Hiatus) |
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12000 |
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Shanidar B2 |
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Zarzi. Palegawra |
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9000 |
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MESOLITHIC |
Shanidar B1 |
Microlithic tools and weapons. Obsidian imported. Bone work. First clay figurines. First groups of dwellings. Beginnings of animal domestication. |
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Zawi Chemi Shanidar |
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8000 |
Karim Shehir |
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Mureybet |
Bus Mordeh |
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7000 |
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NEOLITHIC |
Jarmo |
Ali Kosh |
Progressive domestication of animals and edible plants. Villages. Invention of pottery. First baked bricks. |
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6000 |
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CHALCOLITHIC |
Umm Dabaghiuah |
Use of copper. First mural paintings. Irrigation agriculture. First seals. First temples. Decorated luxury ware. Clay and alabaster figurines. Wide use of brick. |
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HASSUNA |
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5500 |
SAMARRA |
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HALAF |
OUEILI (Ubaid O) |
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5000 |
ERIDU (Ubaid 1) |
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Choga Mami |
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4500 |
HAJJI MUHAMMAD |
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NORTH UBAID |
SOUTH UBAID |
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4000 |
Tepe Gawra |
el-‘Ubaid, Ur |
Temples and houses of increasing size and complexity. |
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3750 |
and numerous other sites |
and numerous other sites |
Terracotta sickles and pestles. |
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URUK PERIOD |
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Tepe Gawra |
Urbanization. Potter's wheel. Swing-plough. Sail. Metal work (bronze, gold, silver). First cylinder-seals. Invention of writing (c. 3300). Development of sculpture. Expanding trade. |
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Qalinj Agha, Grai |
Uruk, Tell ‘Uqair |
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ANCIENT BRONZE |
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Tell Brak |
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3000 |
NINEVEH V |
JEMDAT NASR |
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Early Dynastic I |
SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION |
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2700 |
City-states. Fortified towns. Development of writing. |
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Early Dynastic II |
Administrative archives from Fara and Abu Salabikh. |
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HISTORIC |
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2500 |
Early Dynastic III |
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II. EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD (c. 2900 – 2384 B.C.)
III. DYNASTIES OF AKKAD, GUTIUM AND UR III (c. 2334–2004 B.C.)
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DATES |
AKKAD/UR |
URUK/ISIN |
GUTI/LARSA |
LAGASH |
MARI |
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DYNASTY OF AKKAD |
Lugalzagesi |
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Sharru-kîn (Sargon) |
Sargon takes Mari and Ebla |
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2300 |
Rimush (2278–2270) |
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2250 |
Narâm-Sîn (2254–2218) |
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Narâm-Sîn conquers |
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2200 |
Shar-kalli-sharri |
DYNASTY OF GUTIUM |
SHAKKANAKKU |
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Anarchy |
URUK IV |
The Guti invade |
ENSI OF LAGASH |
Nur-Mêr |
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2150 |
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Ur-nigina (2153–2147) |
Gudea (2141–2122) |
Ishkun-Addu |
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UR III |
URUK V |
Tiriqan (x-2120) |
Apil-Kin |
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Ur-Nammu (2112–2095) |
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2100 |
GOVERNORS OF LAGASH VASSALS OF UR |
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Shulgi (2094–2047) |
Ur-Ninsuna |
Iddin-Ilum |
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2050 |
Amar-Sîn (2046–2038) |
DYNASTY OF ISIN |
DYNASTY OF LARSA |
Ir-Nanna |
Puzur-Ishtar |
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2000 |
Fall of Ur (2004) |
Emisum (2004–1977) |
Lagash becomes independent |
Hanun-Dagan |
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IV. ISIN-LARSA, OLD BABYLONIAN AND OLD ASSYRIAN PERIOD (c. 2000 – 1600 B.C.)
V. KASSITE PERIOD (c. 1600 – 1200 B.C.)
VI. MIDDLE BABYLONIAN AND MIDDLE ASSYRIAN PERIODS (c. 1150 – 750 B.C.)
VII. NEO-ASSYRIAN* AND CEO-BABYLONIAN PERIODS (744–539 B.C.)
VIII. ACHAEMENIAN AND HELLENISTIC PERIODS (539–126 B.C.)
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DATES |
GREECE |
IRAN |
MESOPOTAMIA |
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Solon, archon (since c. 620) |
ACHAEMENIDS (since c. 700) |
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550 |
539: Cyrus conquers Babylon |
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Pisistratus (tyrant) (539–528) |
Cambyses II (530–522) |
ACHAEMENIAN PERIOD Revolts of Nebuchadrezzar III and Nebuchadrezzar IV (522–521) |
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500 |
Median wars (490–478) |
Xerxes I (485–465) |
Revolts of Bêl-shimanni and Shamash-erîba (482). Xerxes sacks Babylon |
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Artaxerxes I (464–424) |
c. 460: Herodotus in Babylon? The Murashû family, bankers at Nippur (455–403) |
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450 |
Pericles (strategus) (443–430) |
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Peloponnesian war (431–404) |
Darius II (423–405) |
Nabû-rimânni and Kidinnu astronomers |
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400 |
Artaxerxes II (404–359) |
401: Xenophon in Babylonia |
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Philip of Macedonia (359–337) |
Artaxerxes III (358–338) |
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350 |
Alexander the Great (336–323) |
Darius III (335–331) |
Gaugameles (331), Alexander enters Babylon and dies there in 323 |
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DIADOCHI |
HELLENISTIC PERIOD |
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300 |
c. 300, Seleucia-on-the-Tigris founded |
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Antiochos I (281–260) |
Last royal inscriptions in Akkadian (Antiochos I) |
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Antiochos II (260–246) |
Berossus writes the ‘Babyloniaca’. |
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250 |
ARSACID PARTHIANS |
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Seleucos II (245–226) |
Tiridates I (248–211) |
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Antiochos III (222–187) |
Temples built in Uruk |
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200 |
Artabanus I (211–191) |
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Antiochos IV (175–164) |
Mithridates I (171–138) |
Greek theatre at Babylon |
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150 |
Demetrios II (145–126) |
Artabanus II (128–124) |
144: Mithridates founds Ctesiphon Demetrios reconquers Babylonia |
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Antiochos VIII (126–96) |
Mithridates II (123–88) |
126: Artabanus II snatches Babylonia from the Seleucids |
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100 |
PARTHIAN PERIOD |
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Orodes I (80–76) |
Assyria repopulated |
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Antiochos XIII (69–65) |
Phraates III (70–57) |
Kingdoms of ADIABENE |
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50 |
Crassus defeated at Carrhae (Harran) (53 B.C.) |
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IX. PARTHIAN AND SASSANIAN PERIODS (126 B.C.–637 A.D.)
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DATES |
ROME |
IRAN |
MESOPOTAMIA |
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50 |
Caesar and Antony |
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Phraates IV (37–2) |
38: Labienus' war against the Parthians |
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ROMAN EMPIRE |
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A.D. |
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Tiberius (14–37) |
Artabanus III |
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Caligula (37–41) |
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50 |
Vologazes I (51–78) |
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Nero (54–68) |
Foundation of Hatra |
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Vespasian (70–79) |
Pacorus II |
74/75: Last known cuneiform text |
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Trajan (98–117) |
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100 |
Osroes (109–128) |
Temple of Gareus at Uruk (c. 110) |
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Hadrian (117–138) |
114–117: Trajan’s campaigns in Mesopotamia takes Ctesiphon and reaches the Arabo-Persian Gulf |
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Antoninus (138–161) |
Mithridates IV |
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150 |
Marcus Aurelius (161–180) |
Vologazes III |
Kingdom of HATRA |
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Commodus (180–192) |
164: Cassius, legate of Syria, conquers Nisibin and Ctesiphon |
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Septimus Severus |
Vologazes IV |
197: Septimus Severus conquers Ctesiphon Caracalla murdered at Carrhae (Harran) |
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200 |
Caracalla (211–217) |
Artabanus V |
SASSANIAN PERIOD |
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Alexander Severus |
Ardeshir I |
226: Ardeshir conquers Mesopotamia |
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250 |
Valerian (253–260) |
240: Ardeshir destroys Hatra |
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Aurelian (270–275) |
Bahram II |
262: Odenath (Palmyra), allied to the Romans, marches on Ctesiphon |
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Diocletian (285–305) |
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300 |
Narses (293–302) |
296: War against Narses, then peace. Rome gains provinces in Mesopotamia |
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Constantine (312–337) |
Shapur II |
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Constantius II (337–361) |
338–350: Wars, then peace between Constantius and Shapur II. |
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350 |
The Romans invade Mesopotamia, then withdraw because of starvation. |
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Julian the Apostate |
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Jovian (363–364) |
Jovian evacuates Roman strongholds in Northern Mesopotamia. |
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Theodosus (379–395) |
Bahram IV |
Floruit of Christian literature in Syriac at Edessa, Nisibin and Arbela (Erbil) |
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400 |
BYZANTINE EMPIRE |
Yezdegerd I |
Intermittent wars between Byzantines and Sassanids. Economic decline of Mesopotamia. |
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651 |
637: Beginning of the conquest of Mesopotamia by Moslem Arabs. |
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