1st millennium BC

Human-headed winged bull facing. Bas-relief from the king Sargon II's palace at Dur Sharrukin in Assyria (now Khorsabad in Iraq), c. 713–716 BC. From Paul-Émile Botta's excavations in 1843–1844.

Millennia:	2nd millennium BC 1st millennium BC 1st millennium AD
Centuries:	10th century BC 9th century BC 8th century BC 7th century BC 6th century BC 5th century BC 4th century BC 3rd century BC 2nd century BC 1st century BC

The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of many successive empires, and spanned from 1000 BC to 1 BC.

The Neo-Assyrian Empire develops, followed by the Achaemenids. In Greece, Classical Antiquity begins with the colonization of Magna Graecia and peaks with the rise of Hellenism. The close of the millennium sees the rise of the Roman Empire. In South Asia, the Vedic civilization blends into the Maurya Empire. The early Celts dominate Central Europe while Northern Europe is in the Pre-Roman Iron Age. The Scythians dominate Central Asia. In China, the Spring and Autumn period sees the rise of Confucianism. Towards the close of the millennium, the Han Dynasty extends Chinese power towards Central Asia, where it borders on Indo-Greek and Iranian states. Yayoi period in Japanese islands. The Maya civilization rises in Central America, while in Africa, Ancient Egypt begins its decline, rise of the Nubian Empire, and Aksum's birth. The religions of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism (Vedic religion and Vedanta), Jainism and Buddhism develop. Graeco-Roman Europe, India and China see the rise of literature.

World population greatly increases in the course of the millennium, reaching some 170 to 400 million people at its close depending on the estimates used.

Events

The events in this section are organized according to the United Nations geoscheme

Events of the 1st millennium BC

	Africa	America	Asia	Europe	Oceania
10th century BC	1000 BC rise of Nok culture 1000 BC decline of Tichit -Walata 1000 Beginning of East/South Bantu expansion	1000 BC rise of Chavín de Huántar in Peru[1] 1000 BC Settlement of Poverty Point, Louisiana reached its height[1]	c. 1000 BC Israelites capture Jerusalem 967 BC Solomon anointed king of Israel 925 BC Judah secedes from Israel, Shoshenq I invades Canaan	1000 BC Helladic period ended in Ancient Greece
9th century BC	872 BC Nile floods the Temple of Luxor 836 BC Civil war in Egypt 814 BC Carthage founded	900 BC La Venta replaces San Lorenzo (Olmec)[1] 900 BC Rise of Tres Zapotes 850 BC Rise of Zapotec civilization in Mexico[1]	841 BC to 828 BC Gonghe Regency	863 BC Bath founded
8th century BC	740 BC Kushite Piye begins reign 727 BC Kush conquers Egypt, 25 dynasty 701 BC Kushites repels Assyrians from Jerusalem	800 BC Kaminaljuyu established (Maya) 800 BC Rise of Adena culture in Ohio[1] 800 BC Beginning of corn cultivation on Amazon flood plain[1]	771 BC Spring and Autumn period 738 BC Assyria invades Israel 727 BC Babylonia secedes from Assyria 722 BC Israel is conquered by Assyria	800 BC rise of Etruscan civilization 776 BC first Olympiad 753 BC Rome founded
7th century BC	700 BC Pre-Aksumite 674 BC Taharqa defeats Assyrian invasion 671 BC Kushites expelled from Egypt by Assyrians	700 BC Poverty Point (Louisiana) abandoned[1] 700 BC Many temple centres abandoned on coast of Peru[1]	700 BC Upanishads written 631 BC End of the Assyrian Empire
6th century BC	592 BC Psamtik II sack Napata 600 BC Iron making around Great Lakes region c. 600 BC, Nok culture iron smelting	600 BC Rise of Paracas culture (Peru)[1] 600 BC writing system appears in Mexico 600 BC Ball courts appear in Olmec centres[1]	539 BC Persians conquer Babylon 528 BC Buddhism founded	509 BC Roman Republic established
5th century BC	500 BC Trans-saharan trade in full bloom from Morocco to Senegal River 500 BC Meroe becomes center of iron production 500 BC Development of Ge'ez alphabet	500 BC Northwest Coast native peoples begin to flourish[1] 500 BC Hieroglyphic inscriptions produced in Zapotec centre of Monte Albán[1] 450 BC Mound building in eastern North America[1]	479 BC Confucius dies 476 BC Beginning of Warring States period 450 BC Tanakh compiled 486 BC Grand Canal begun	490 BC Battle of Marathon 480 BC Battle of Thermopylae 431 BC Peloponnesian War	500 BC Austronesian peoples settle Western Polynesia
4th century BC	343 BC Persia conquers Egypt 338 Khabash revolts against Persian occupation 332 BC Alexander conquers Egypt	400 BC Emergence of Moche civilisation in Peru[1] 350 BC Beginnings of Nasca culture in southern Peru 350 BC Inca metal work[1]	334 BC Greece conquers Persia 321 BC Rise of the Mauryan Empire	395 BC Corinthian War
3rd century BC	300 BC Tifinagh script developed 300 BC Meroe becomes capital of Kush 202 BC Battle of Zama	250 BC First Mayan hieroglyphics 300 BC The double-spout-and-bridge bottle becomes widespread[1] 250 BC Grave Creek Mound built in West Virginia	221 BC Qin Unified China 206 BC Han Dynasty 261 BC Kalinga war	264 BC First Punic War 218 BC Second Punic War
2nd century BC	200 BC Djenné settled 200 BC Meroitic script in completed form 146 BC Carthage final defeat, Roman province of Africa	200 BC Zapotec state develops in Mexico[1] 200 BC Great temple complex declines at Chavín de Huántar, Peru[1] 200 BC Elite Calima culture burials with rich grave-goods deposited in Malagana, Colombia[1]	185 BC Fall of the Maurya Empire 136 BC to 124 BC Confucianism became the state ideology of China 114 BC Silk Road route expanded	149 BC Third Punic War 146 BC Battle of Corinth
1st century BC	100 BC Aksum develops its Indian, Red Sea trade links 31 BC Rome conquers Egypt 20 BC Meroites thwart Roman conquest	100 BC Rise of the Hopewell exchange system along the Mississippi[2] 100 BC Rise of Teotihuacán in Mexico[2] 50 BC Rise of the Iputiak in Alaska[2]	91 BC Records of the Grand Historian finished	31 BC Battle of Actium

Significant people

The people in this section are organized according to the United Nations geoscheme

Significant people of the 1st millennium BC

	Africa	America	Asia	Europe	Oceania
10th century BC	Psusennes I Psusennes II Shoshenq I		King David of Israel Solomon Zoroaster (proposed)
9th century BC	Osorkon I Takelot II Shoshenq II		Parshvanatha[3]	Homer
8th century BC	Alara Piye Kashta		Isaiah Parshvanatha[3]	Romulus and Remus
7th century BC	Taharqa Tantamani Psamtik I		Jeremiah	Numa Pompilius
6th century BC	Aspelta Psamtik II Apries		Mahavira Lao Zi Sun Tzu Zoroaster (proposed) Cyrus the Great	Leonidas Sappho
5th century BC	Baskakeren Harsiotef Hanno II		Gautama Buddha Confucius Darius I of Persia	Pericles Socrates Plato
4th century BC	Khabash Nastasen Mago II		Chanakya Chandragupta Mencius	Aristotle Alexander the Great
3rd century BC	Hannibal Aktisanes Amanislo		Ashoka Pingala Qin Shi Huang	Euclid Archimedes
2nd century BC	Hasdrubal the Boeotarch Shanakdakhete Masinissa		Jonathan Maccabaeus Emperor Wu of Han
1st century BC	Amanitore Amanirenas Cleopatra		Herod the Great Sima Qian	Cicero Julius Caesar Virgil

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Inventions, discoveries and introductions

Communication	Math and Science	Agriculture	Transportation	Warfare
Greek alphabet, the first alphabet with vowels. Classical Sanskrit Iranian religions (Zoroastrianism, not including the Proto-Indo-Iranian religion) Monotheism: The oldest monotheistic religions, Judaism (according to Only biblical scholars Judaism transitioned from monolatrism to strict monotheism by 6th century BC in response to the Babylonian exile)[4] and Zoroastrianism (founded by Zoroaster in the 6th century BC)[5]	buoyancy Geometry Pythagorean theorem Spherical earth atoms water clock[6]		first railway[6] superships[6] lighthouse[6]	warship[6] crossbow[6] siege engine[6]

Cultural landmarks

• The Axial Age (8th century BC—2nd century BC), according to the theory of Karl Jaspers.
• Qin built and unified various sections of the Great Wall of China.
• Qin built Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum guarded by the life-sized Terracotta Army.
• Late 3rd century BC or 2nd century BC—Veiled and masked dancer is made. It is now kept at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Centuries and decades

10th century BC	990s BC	980s BC	970s BC	960s BC	950s BC	940s BC	930s BC	920s BC	910s BC	900s BC
9th century BC	890s BC	880s BC	870s BC	860s BC	850s BC	840s BC	830s BC	820s BC	810s BC	800s BC
8th century BC	790s BC	780s BC	770s BC	760s BC	750s BC	740s BC	730s BC	720s BC	710s BC	700s BC
7th century BC	690s BC	680s BC	670s BC	660s BC	650s BC	640s BC	630s BC	620s BC	610s BC	600s BC
6th century BC	590s BC	580s BC	570s BC	560s BC	550s BC	540s BC	530s BC	520s BC	510s BC	500s BC
5th century BC	490s BC	480s BC	470s BC	460s BC	450s BC	440s BC	430s BC	420s BC	410s BC	400s BC
4th century BC	390s BC	380s BC	370s BC	360s BC	350s BC	340s BC	330s BC	320s BC	310s BC	300s BC
3rd century BC	290s BC	280s BC	270s BC	260s BC	250s BC	240s BC	230s BC	220s BC	210s BC	200s BC
2nd century BC	190s BC	180s BC	170s BC	160s BC	150s BC	140s BC	130s BC	120s BC	110s BC	100s BC
1st century BC	90s BC	80s BC	70s BC	60s BC	50s BC	40s BC	30s BC	20s BC	10s BC	0s BC

See also

Notes

1. "World Timeline of the Americas 1000 BC - AD 200". The British Museum. 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
2. "World Timeline of the Americas 200 BC - AD 600". The British Museum. 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-25.
3. Zimmer 1952, p. 182-183.
4. No Other Gods: Emergent Monotheism in Israel
5. Zoroastrianism
6. "Who Built it First". Ancient Discoveries. A&E Television Networks. 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2009-07-24.

References

• Zimmer, Heinrich (1952), Joseph Campbell, ed., Philosophy of India, London, E.C. 4: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, Not in copyright