The Early Bronze Age
A timeline from 3,000 to 2,000 BCE — the age of pyramids, the first empires, and the flourishing of river valley civilizations.
Early Dynastic period in Sumer
Sumerian city-states enter a period of intense competition and cultural flowering. The Royal Tombs of Ur date to this era.
Step Pyramid of Djoser
Architect Imhotep builds the first large-scale stone structure in history — the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, launching the age of pyramid construction.
Indus Valley Civilization emerges
Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and dozens of other planned cities appear across the Indus Valley — the world's largest Bronze Age civilization by area.
Great Pyramid of Giza completed
Pharaoh Khufu's Great Pyramid is built — the tallest structure on Earth for the next 3,800 years, a testament to Egyptian engineering and royal power.
Mohenjo-daro at its peak
Mohenjo-daro reaches its height with 40,000 inhabitants, the Great Bath, grid streets, and the most sophisticated urban drainage system in the ancient world.
Sargon of Akkad founds the first empire
Sargon rises from obscurity to conquer all of Mesopotamia and beyond, creating the world's first empire and a new model of political organization.
Fall of the Akkadian Empire
The Akkadian Empire collapses under pressure from internal rebellions and a severe drought — one of history's earliest examples of climate-driven political collapse.
Third Dynasty of Ur
The Sumerian Renaissance under Ur-Nammu produces the world's oldest surviving law code and a brief period of Sumerian cultural revival.
Code of Ur-Nammu
The oldest known legal code is written in Sumerian, predating Hammurabi's Code by three centuries. It prescribes fines rather than physical punishment for many offenses.