Bronze Age
|
↑ Chalcolithic |
Near East (c. 3300–1200 BC)
- Anatolia, Caucasus, Elam, Egypt, Levant, Mesopotamia, Sistan, Canaan
- Bronze Age collapse
South Asia (c. 3000– 1200 BC)
- Ochre Coloured Pottery
- Cemetery H
Europe (c. 3200–600 BC)
- Aegean, Caucasus, Catacomb culture, Srubna culture, Beaker culture, Unetice culture, Tumulus culture, Urnfield culture, Hallstatt culture, Apennine culture, Canegrate culture, Golasecca culture,
- Atlantic Bronze Age, Bronze Age Britain, Nordic Bronze Age
China (c. 2000–700 BC)
- Erlitou, Erligang
|
arsenical bronze
writing, literature
sword, chariot |
↓Iron Age |
The Bronze Age is a period, 3300 - 1200 BC, characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze and proto-writing, and other features of urban civilization, circa 3300 BC to 1200 BC. The Bronze Age is the second principal period of the three-age Stone-Bronze-Iron system, as proposed in modern times by Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, for classifying and studying ancient societies. Ancient civilizations can be in the Bronze Age either by smelting its own copper and alloying with tin, or by trading for bronze from production areas elsewhere. Worldwide, the Bronze Age generally followed the Neolithic period. but in some parts of the world, the Copper Age served as a transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.
Development of states
The development of states—large-scale, populous, politically centralized, and socially stratified polities/societies governed by powerful rulers marks one of the major milestones in the evolution of human societies. Archaeologists often distinguish between primary (or pristine) states and secondary states. Primary states evolved independently through largely internal developmental processes rather than through the influence of any other pre-existing state. The earliest known primary states appeared in Mesopatamia c. 3700 BC, during the end of the Neolithic period, in Egypt c. 3300 BC, in the Indus Valley c. 2500 BC, India c. 1700 BC, and in China c. 1600 BC. As they interacted with their less developed neighbors through trade, warfare, migration, and more generalized ideological influences, the primary states directly or indirectly fostered the emergence of secondary states in surrounding areas, for example, the Hittites in Anatolia, the Minoan and Mycenaean states of the Aegean, or the Nubian kingdoms in the Sudan. Professor Gil Stein at the University of Chicago Oriental Institute states "The excavations and archaeological surveys of the last few decades have vastly increased both the quantity and quality of what we know about ancient states and urbanism. Archaeologists have broadened the scope of their research beyond the traditional focus on rulers and urban elites. Current research now aims at understanding the role of urban commoners, craft specialists, and village-based farmers in the overall organization of ancient states and societies. Given the immense geographical scope encompassed by the term 'the Ancient World'".[1] This list's the main types state that existed in Africa, Americas, Central Asia, East Asia, Europe, Eurasian Steppe, South Asia, and West Asia, from the beginning of the Bronze Age to the beginning of Iron Age, a period of approximately 2,000 years.
Africa
Map of the world in the late Bronze Age, 1300 BC
Name |
Capital/s |
Type |
Existed |
Aethiopia |
Adulis |
Kingdom |
c. 13th - 5th century BC |
Egypt |
Memphis, Thebes |
Kingdom |
3100 - 1550 BC |
Egyptian Empire |
Akhetaten, Pi-Ramesses, Thebes, |
Empire |
1550 - 1069 BC |
Kerma |
Kerma |
Principalities[2] |
2500 - 15th century BC |
Libu |
Not specified |
Tribal chiefdoms |
1550 - 630 BC[3] |
Nubia |
Kerma |
Kingdom |
3300 - 2500 BC |
Punt |
Not specified |
Kingdom |
2400 - 1069 BC |
Americas
name |
capital |
state type |
existed |
Maya |
Various |
Kingdom city states |
2000 BC - 900 AD |
Olmec |
La Venta, Tenochtitlán |
Kingdom city states |
1400 - 400 BC |
Europe
North and West
Name |
Capital/s |
Type |
Existed |
South and East
Name |
Capital/s |
Type |
Existed |
Athens |
Athens |
Kingdom city state |
1556 - 1068 BC |
Alba Longa |
Lavinium |
Kingdom |
1200 - 753 BC |
Alashiya |
Enkomi, Kalavasos |
Kingdom |
1450 - 1050 BC |
Crestonia |
Creston |
Principality |
14th century BC - 431 BC |
Elis |
Elis |
Kingdom |
1300 BC - 431 BC |
Lacedaemon |
Sparta |
Kingdom |
1300 - 950 BC |
Locria |
Amphissa, Naupactus |
Kingdom |
1250 - 386 BC |
Messenia |
Messene |
Kingdom |
1300 - 724 BC |
Minoa |
Knossos |
Kingdom city states |
2700 - 1420 BC |
Mycenaea |
Mycenae |
Kingdom city states |
1600 - 1100 BC |
Mygdonia |
Not specified |
Tribal kingdom |
16th century BC - 6th century BC |
Pelasgia |
Pavlopetri[4] |
Tribal kingdom |
3000 - 1183 BC |
Phrygia |
Not specified |
Tribal kingdom |
1450 - 1200 BC |
Sea Peoples |
Not specified |
Tribal confederacy |
c. 2000 - 1175 BC |
Sicani |
Not specified |
Tribal confederation |
c. 13th century - 300 BC |
Thrace |
Various |
Tribal chiefdoms |
1500 - 450 BC |
Name |
Capital |
Type |
Existed |
Bactria–Margiana |
Gonur |
Tribal kingdoms |
2300 - 1700 BC |
Chorasmia |
Dzanbas-Kala, Toprak-Kala |
Tribal confederation/kingdom |
1292 - 180 BC |
Cimmeria |
Not specified |
Tribal confederation |
1300 - 626 BC |
Colchis |
Phasis |
Kingdom |
1300 BC - 2nd century AD |
Donghu |
Not specified |
Nomadic tribal confederation |
1400 - 150 BC |
East Asia
Approximate location of the territory of the Shang Kingdom within China
name |
capital |
state type |
existed |
Ba |
Yíchéng |
Tribal confederation |
13th century BC - 311 BC |
Gojoseon |
Asadal, Wanggeom-seong |
Kingdom |
2333 - 108 BC |
Qi |
Qi |
Dukedom |
1600 - 445 BC |
Qiang |
Not specified |
Tribal chiefdoms/confederation |
2000 BC - 150 BC |
Shang |
Anyang |
Kingdom |
1600 - 1046 BC |
Sumpa |
Not specified |
Tribal chiefdom/client |
1600 BC - 7th century AD |
Văn Lang |
Anyang |
Confederation/kingdom |
2879 - 258 BC |
Xia |
Yangcheng |
Kingdom |
2205 - 1600 BC |
Xu |
Gusu |
Viscountcy/client |
2000 - 512 BC |
South Asia
Extent of various city states of the Harrapa Civilization by researcher
Rajesh Rao.
name |
capital |
state type |
existed |
Anga |
Champa or Campā |
Kingdom |
1380 - 550 BC |
Āryāvarta |
Multiple |
Tribal confederated kingdoms |
1750 - 600 BC |
Chedi |
Suktimati |
Kingdom |
1300 - 405 BC |
Chola |
Urayur/Kaveripattinam |
Kingdom |
2645 - 110 BC |
Gandhara |
Kapisa, Pushkalavati |
Kingdom |
1450 - 510 BC |
Sindhu Sapata |
Harrapa, Mohenjo Daro |
Federated kingdom city states |
3100 - 1300 BC |
Kalinga |
Dantapura/Rajapura[5] |
Kingdom |
1376 - 285 BC |
Kamboja |
Rajapura |
Kingdom |
1450 - 195 BC |
Kasmira |
Asirgarh Qila |
Kingdom |
1250 - 322 BC |
Kekeya |
|
Kingdom |
1250 - c. 4th century BC |
Kirata |
|
Tribal kingdom |
1350 - c. 300 BC |
Kosala |
Ayodhya |
Kingdom |
1300 - 266 BC |
Kuru |
Āsandīvat, Indraprastha |
Kingdom |
1376 - 285 BC |
Lanka |
Lankapura |
Kingdom |
1200 - 543 BC |
Madra |
Sagala |
Kingdom |
1350 - 350 BC |
Magadha |
Rajagriha or Rajgir |
Kingdom |
1700 - 544 BC |
Matsya |
Viratanagara |
Kingdom |
1250 -318 BC |
Panchala |
Ahichatra, Kampilya |
Kingdom |
1200 - 700 BC |
Pandya |
Madurai |
Kingdom |
1350 - 460 BC |
Pundra |
Pundravardhana |
Kingdom |
1300 BC - 550 AD |
Sindhu |
Vrsadarbhpura |
Kingdom |
1300 - 320 BC |
Surasena |
Methora |
Kingdom |
1300 - 323 BC |
Vanga |
Gange |
Kingdom |
1300 BC - 580 AD |
Vidarbha |
Kundinapuri |
Kingdom |
1200-322 BC |
Virata |
Virata Nagari |
Kingdom |
1300-322 BC |
Vriji |
Vaishali |
Confederacy |
1250 - 322 BC |
Yaksha |
Narmada |
Kingdom |
1200 - 350 BC |
West Asia
The Hittite Empire shown in blue late Bronze Age, 1400 BC
name |
capital |
state type |
existed |
Ahhiyawa |
Milawata or Millawanda |
Kingdom |
1450 - 1220 BC |
Akkadian Empire |
Akkad |
Empire |
2334 - 2193 BC |
Amorite |
Various |
United kingdoms |
2000 – 1595 BC |
Aratta |
Aratta |
Kingdom |
c. 2700 – ? BC |
Aramea |
Various |
Tribal chiefdom's/kingdom |
2300 – 700 BC |
Arme-Shupria |
Van |
Kingdom |
1290 - 1190 BC |
Armi |
Armi |
Kingdom city state/client |
2290 - 40 BC |
Arzawa |
Apasa |
Confederation of principalities |
2300 - 1200 BC |
Assyria |
Assur |
Kingdom |
1975 - 934 BC |
Assuwa League |
Various |
Confederation of city states |
1300 - 1250 BC |
Babylonia |
Babylon |
Kingdom |
1894 - 732 BC |
Bashan |
Bashan |
Confederation |
1330 - 928 BC |
Byblos |
Byblos |
Kingdom city state |
1800 - 970 BC |
Canaan |
Various |
Confederation of city states |
3500 - 1194 BC |
Karuwa or Caria |
Apasa |
Kingdom |
1250 - 560 BC |
Dardania |
Dardania |
Kingdom |
1527 - 1183 BC |
Dilmun |
Qal'at |
Kingdom |
2600 - 675 BC |
Ebla |
Ebla |
Kingdom |
3500 - 1600 BC |
Edom |
Rabbath Ammon |
Kingdom |
1200 - 125 BC |
Elam |
Susa |
Kingdom |
2700 - 1210 BC |
Eshnuna |
Eshnunna |
Kingdom city state |
2000 BC - 8th century BC |
Ganhar |
Ganhar |
Kingdom city state |
c. 2350 BC - 2250 BC |
Gutium |
Arrapkha |
Kingdom |
2108 - 2089 BC |
Hatti |
Hattusa |
Principality city states |
2700 - 1900 BC |
Harappa |
Harrapa, Mohenjo Daro |
Kingdom city states |
3100 - 1300 BC |
Hayasa-Azzi |
Samuha |
2 Kingdom confederation |
1500 - 1190 BC |
Hitti |
Hattussa |
Kingdom |
1900 - 1600 BC |
Hittite Empire |
Hattusa |
Empire |
1600 - 1178 BC |
Hyksos |
Itjtawy, Thebes |
Confederacy |
1800 - 1178 BC |
Isuwa |
not specified |
Kingdom |
3000 - 12th c BC |
Kassite |
? |
Tribal federation |
c. 21st c - 1750 BC |
Kassite |
Babylon |
Kingdom |
1750 - 1135 BC |
Kaskia |
Zalpa, Nerik |
Tribal confederation/kingdom |
1430 - 1200 BC |
Kizzuwatna |
Kummanni |
Kingdom |
1600 - 1220 BC |
Kussara |
Kussara |
Kingdom city states |
1900 - 1650 BC |
Lydia |
Sardis |
Kingdom |
1200 - 680 BC |
Lukka |
Not specified |
Tribal kingdom |
2000 - 1183 BC |
Lullubi |
Lulubuna |
Tribal kingdom |
2400 - 650 BC |
Luvia |
|
Tribal kingdom |
2300 - 1400 BC |
Magan |
Not specified |
Kingdom |
2200 - 550 BC |
Ma'in |
Ḥaram, Yathill |
Kingdom |
1200 - 85 BC |
Marhasi |
Marhaši |
Kingdom city state |
2900 - 1900 BC |
Mari |
Mari |
Kingdom city state |
2900 - 1759 BC |
Mittani |
Washukanni |
Kingdom |
1690 - 1300 BC |
Mysia |
Pergamene |
Kingdom |
1320 - 301 BC [6] |
Namar |
Namar |
Kingdom |
2350 - 750 BC |
Moab |
Dibon |
Kingdom |
1200 - 1300 BC |
Paphlagonia |
Gangra |
Kingdom |
1480 - 183 BC[7] |
Phoenicia |
Various |
Kingdom city states |
1800 - 539 BC |
Phrygia |
Gordium |
Kingdom |
1200 - 547 BC |
Purushanda |
Purušhanda |
Kingdom city state |
2000 - 1650 BC |
Sam'al |
Samal |
Principality/kingdom |
1200 - 680 BC |
Sea Peoples |
Not specified |
Tribal confederacy |
c. 2000 - 1175 BC |
Sumeria |
Various |
Kingdom city states |
2900 - 1674 BC |
Troas |
Troy |
Kingdom |
3000 - 700 BC |
Tyre |
Tyre |
Kingdom city state |
1500 - 990 BC |
Ugarit |
Ugarit |
Kingdom city state |
2500 - 1090 BC |
Upper Mesopotamia |
Assur |
Kingdom |
1809 - 1776 BC |
Urkesh |
Urkesh |
Kingdom city state/client |
2250 - 1350 BC |
Wilusa |
Wilusa |
Kingdom city state |
c.2000 - 1180 BC |
Yamhad |
Halab |
Kingdom |
1810 - 1525 BC |
Zabshali |
Zalpa |
Kingdom city state |
c.2050 - 2000 BC |
Zalpa |
Zalpa |
Kingdom city state/client |
1830 - 1670 BC |
See also
References
External links