2nd millennium BC

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 |m  =2nd millennium BC
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Contents

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Events

To grasp the spirit of the 2nd millennium BC, we must divide it in two parts, for there is a period of change around its middle so important that it creates two separate "sub-millennia".

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First half (2000-1500 BC)

The first part of the millennium is a time a bit less colorful than others, a lull in the history of Ancient Near East, still living in the shadow of greater past times, and spending all energies in trying to recuperate from the deeply anarchic situation that was at the turn of the millennium. Even the most powerful civilizations of the time, Egypt and Mesopotamia, were having what could be called a low-profile period, aiming at modest, realistic goals. The Pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt and their contemporary Kings of Babylon, of Amorite origin, brought good governance without too much tyranny, favoured elegant art and architecture without overblown exaggeration, painstakingly achieved a good general balance that lasted only a short while.

Egypt and Babylonia's military tactics were still based on foot soldiers transporting their equipment on donkeys. Combined with a weak economy and difficulty in maintaining order, this was a fragile situation that crumbled under the pressure of external forces they could not oppose.

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The break in the middle (c. 1600-1500 BC)

About a century before the middle of the millennium, bands of Indo-European invaders burst from their Central Asia plains and swept through the Near East like a series of electric shocks. They were riding fast two-wheeled chariots powered by horses, a system of weaponry developed earlier within the context of plains warfare. This tool of war was unknown among the classical oriental civilizations. Egypt and Babylonia's foot soldiers were simply no match for them, and all kingdoms across the Near East quickly fell, even in powerful Egypt where the new invaders, known as the Hyksos, put an end to the Middle Kingdom.

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Second half (1500-1000 BC)

The peoples in place were quick to adapt to the new tactics, and a whole new international situation resulted from the change. For most of the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, the Ancient Near East became a giant chessboard where several regional powers competed endlessly for hegemony, rolling their chariots at full speed in all directions. These actually became very colorful times, with new emphasis on grandiose architecture, new clothing fashions, vivid diplomatic correspondence on clay tablets, renewed economic exchanges, and the New Kingdom of Egypt playing the role of the main superpower. Among the great states of the time, only Babylon refrained from taking part in the rolling chessgame, satisfied with its prestigious new position as the World's religious and intellectual capital.

This was the Bronze Age civilization at its final and brightest period of time, with all its characteristic social traits : low level of urbanization, small cities centered around temples or royal palaces, strict separation of classes between an illiterate mass and a powerful military elite, knowledge of writing and education reserved to a tiny minority of scribes, brilliant aristocratic life.

Near the end of the 2nd millennium BC, new waves of barbarians, riding on horseback this time, wholly destroyed the Bronze Age world, and were to be followed by waves of social changes that marked the beginning of very different times. Also contributing to the changes were the Sea Peoples, ship-faring raiders of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Specific events

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Inventions, discoveries, introductions

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Cultures

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Significant people

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Cultural landmarks

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Centuries and Decades

20th century BC 1990s BC 1980s BC 1970s BC 1960s BC 1950s BC 1940s BC 1930s BC 1920s BC 1910s BC 1900s BC
19th century BC 1890s BC 1880s BC 1870s BC 1860s BC 1850s BC 1840s BC 1830s BC 1820s BC 1810s BC 1800s BC
18th century BC 1790s BC 1780s BC 1770s BC 1760s BC 1750s BC 1740s BC 1730s BC 1720s BC 1710s BC 1700s BC
17th century BC 1690s BC 1680s BC 1670s BC 1660s BC 1650s BC 1640s BC 1630s BC 1620s BC 1610s BC 1600s BC
16th century BC 1590s BC 1580s BC 1570s BC 1560s BC 1550s BC 1540s BC 1530s BC 1520s BC 1510s BC 1500s BC
15th century BC 1490s BC 1480s BC 1470s BC 1460s BC 1450s BC 1440s BC 1430s BC 1420s BC 1410s BC 1400s BC
14th century BC 1390s BC 1380s BC 1370s BC 1360s BC 1350s BC 1340s BC 1330s BC 1320s BC 1310s BC 1300s BC
13th century BC 1290s BC 1280s BC 1270s BC 1260s BC 1250s BC 1240s BC 1230s BC 1220s BC 1210s BC 1200s BC
12th century BC 1190s BC 1180s BC 1170s BC 1160s BC 1150s BC 1140s BC 1130s BC 1120s BC 1110s BC 1100s BC
11th century BC 1090s BC 1080s BC 1070s BC 1060s BC 1050s BC 1040s BC 1030s BC 1020s BC 1010s BC 1000s BC
br:Eil milved kent Jezuz-Krist

bg:2 хилядолетие пр.н.е. da:2. årtusinde f.Kr. de:2. Jahrtausend v. Chr. el:2η χιλιετία π.Χ. es:II milenio adC fa:هزاره ۲ (پیش از میلاد) fr:IIe millénaire av. J.-C. it:II millennio a.C. he:האלף ה-2 לפנה"ס la:Millennium 2 a.C.n. lb:2. Joerdausend v. Chr. lt:2 tūkstantmetis pr. m. e. hu:I. e. 2. évezred ja:紀元前2千年紀 no:2. årtusen f.Kr. pt:Segundo milénio a.C. ru:2 тысячелетие до н. э. fi:1000-vuosituhat eaa sv:1000-talet f.Kr. (millennium) tt:MA 2. meñyıllıq ur:1000مقم

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