Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?

Chronology Tables

Chronology of the Early Bronze Age

PeriodStandard ChronologyAFS ChronologyComments
Chalcolithic / Early Bronze I4500-2900 BC3500-2700 BC
  • Predynastic - Protodynastic periods (Egypt)
  • Uruk - Jemdet Nasr periods (Mesopotamia)
  • Ghassulian culture (Southern Levant)
  • Megiddo XX - XIX (Southern Levant)
Early Bronze II2900-2650 BC2650-2500 BC
  • Early Dynastic I-II (Mesopotamia)
  • Dynasties I-II (Egypt)
  • Megiddo XVIII-XVII (Southern Levant)
Early Bronze III2650-2300 BC2500-2150 BC
  • Early Dynastic III (Mesopotamia)
  • Dynasties III-V (Egyptian Old Kingdom)
  • Megiddo XVI - XV (Canaan)
  • Early Dilmun (Persian Gulf)
  • Early Harappan (Indus Valley)
Early Bronze IV2300-2150 BC2150-2000 BC
  • Akkadian period (Mesopotamia)
  • Egyptian Dynasty VI (Late Old Kingdom)
  • Mature Harappan period (Indus Valley)
  • Qala'at al-Bahrain City II (Persian Gulf)
Middle Bronze I2150-2000 BC2000-1850 BC
  • Guti, Lagash II, and Ur III period (Mesopotamia)
  • Egyptian First Intermediate Period
  • Jericho Shaft Tombs
  • Megiddo Stratum XIV

Chronology of Mesopotamia

PeriodEraStandardAFSSignificant Event
Chalcolithic / EB IUruk Period4000 - 3100 BC3500 (?) - 2750 BC
  • Late Ubaid (?)
  • Uruk Expansion (Uruk VI-IV)
  • Accounting tablets discovered in Susa II-III
  • Enmerkar and Etana (?)
EB I—IIJemdet Nasr /
Proto-Elamite		3100 - 2900 BC2750 - 2650 BC
  • Uruk III
  • Jemdet Nasr Tablets
  • Blau Monuments
  • Proto-Elamite Tablets
  • Egyptian Dynasties I & II
  • The Great Temple at Megiddo
  • Jebel Hafeet Tombs (Magan)
EB II—IIIEarly Dynastic I-II2900 - 2600 BC2550 - 2400 BC
  • Fara and Abu Salabikh Tablets
  • Reigns of Gilgamesh, Agga, Mesannapeda (?)
  • Earliest tombs in Royal Cemetery of Ur
  • Sin Temples VI-VIII at Khafajah
  • Hamazi and Awan Dynasties named in the SKL suggest Elam controlled Sumer for short periods
  • Eannatum of Lagash claims to conquer Elam
  • Pyramid of Djoser (Egyptian III Dynasty)
  • Umm an-Nar Tombs (Magan)
EB IIIEarly Dynastic III2600 - 2350 BC2400 - 2200 BC
  • First Dynasties of Ur and Lagash
  • Eannatum of Lagash conquers Sumer
  • Egyptian Dynasties IV & V (The Great Pyramid and Pyramid Texts)
  • First Eblaite Dynasty (Ebla Archive)
  • Megiddo XV (Megaron Temples)
  • Qala'at al-Bahrain City I (Dilmun)
EB IVAkkadian2350 - 2150 BC2200 - 2050 BC
  • Akkadian Empires
  • Akkad establishes governors in Elam
  • Gutian control of Mesopotamia
  • Puzur-Inshushinak, the most important ruler of the Shimashki Dynasty, establishes independent Elamite rule and competes with the Guti for control of Sumer
  • Linear Elamite
  • Egyptian Dynasty VI
  • Qala'at al-Bahrain City II (Dilmun)
MB IUr III2150 - 2000 BC 2050 - 1900 BC
  • The Neo-Sumerian Empire
  • Construction of ziggurats including the one at Ur
  • Shulgi establishes marriage alliance with Awan
  • Egyptian First Intermediate Period
  • Jericho Shaft Tombs
  • Megiddo Stratum XIV
  • Dilmun Burial Mounds on Bahrain
MB IIAIsin Larsa Period2000 - 1750 BC1900 - 1700 BC
  • The breakup of Mesopotamia into petty kingdoms dominated by Isin and Larsa
  • Sukkalmah dynasty established in Elam
  • Elamite cuneiform adapted from Akkadian
  • Many of the tablets discovered in the library at Nippur were copied during this period

Chronology of Egypt

PeriodEraCultureStandardAFSComments
Chalcolithic / EB IBadarian4500-4000 BC
"Naqada IAmratian4000-3600 BC
"Naqada IIGerzean3600-3300 BC
  • Black-top Pottery
  • Cemetery HK-6
"Naqada IIIProtodynastic3300-3100 BC2800-2600 BC
  • roughly contemporary with Late Uruk and Jemdet Nasr periods
  • Scorpion I (II?)
  • significant Mesopotamian influence in Egypt
  • Decorated Ware
  • Tomb 100
EB IIDynasties I & IIEarly Dynastic3100-2700 BC2750-2500 BC
  • Upper and Lower Egypt united
  • First dynasty kings ruled from Thinis (Abydos) in Upper Egypt
  • founding of Memphis in Lower Egypt

Chronology of the Southern Levant

PeriodStandardAncient ListComments
Chalcolthic / EB I4500-3150 BC3500-2750 BC
  • The Ghassulian Culture
  • Grey and Red Burnished Pottery
  • Temple 4050 of Megiddo XIX
  • Ledge-handled Jars
  • Uruk & Jemdet Nasr periods (Mesopotamia)
  • Predynastic period (Egypt)
EB II3150-2700 BC2750-2500 BC
  • Arad II-III
  • Great Temple of Megiddo XVIII
  • Kura Araxes Red and Black Ware
  • Early Dynastic I & II (Mesopotamia)
  • Dynasties I and II (Egypt)
EB III2700-2350 BC2500-2200 BC
  • Flourishing Canaanite city-states
  • Megaron Temples of Megiddo XV
  • Khirbet Kerak Ware
  • Troy II
  • Early Dynastic III  (Mesopotamia)
  • Dynasties III-V (Egypt)
  • Ebla Temple G (Mardikh IIB1)
  • Megaron-style temples at Megiddo (Stratum XVII-XV)
EB IV2350-2100 BC2200-2060 BC
  • Dynasty VI (Egypt)
  • Akkadian Period (Mesopotamia)
  • Qala'at al-Bahrain City II
  • Royal Tombs of Alacahoyuk
MB I2100-2000 BC2060-1900 BC
  • Guti domination of Sumer
  • First Intermediate Period (Egypt)
  • Megiddo XIV Shrine
  • Amorite Shaft Tombs
  • Ur III

Chronology of the Cyclades

CulturePeriodStandard ChronologyField School ChronologyComments
Grotta-PelosEarly Cycladic I3200-2700 BC2900-2500 BC
  • No settlements from this period have been discovered
  • Only evidence comes from small, scattered cemeteries, primarily on Naxos and Paros
  • Metal grave goods are scarce and limited to beads and short lengths of copper wire
Keros-SyrosEarly Cycladic II2700-2300 BC2500-2200 BC
  • Cemetery of 600 graves at Chalandriani
  • Metal grave goods become common
  • Roughly contemporary with Troy II and the Royal Tombs of Alacahoyuk
  • Fortified settlement of Kastri on Syros constructed towards end of this period
Phylakopi IEarly Cycladic III2300-2000 BC2200-1911 BC
  • EC II settlements largely depopulated
  • The primary source of information for this period comes from Phylakopi on Melos
  • Contemporary with Akkadian and Ur III periods

Chronology of Mari

CityPeriodStandard DateAL DateDescription
City IEarly Dynastic I-II2950 - 2650 BC2600 - 2400 BCFounding of the city. Little is known of this city. No temples or palaces have been discovered.
City IIEarly Dynastic III2500 - 2300 BC 2400 - 2180 BCMari dominates Syria for most of the period. Ebla won a series of decisive during the reign of Ishar-Damu and his energetic viziers, Ibrium and Ibbi-Zikir. The period ends with the destruction of the city, probably by Sargon of Akkad.
City IIIUr III - Amorite2200 - 1760 BC2100 - 1700 BCCity was ruled by shakkanakkus (governors appointed at first by Akkadian kings). The shakkanakkus rebuilt Mari on a different plan and maintained friendly diplomatic relation with Ur. The shakkanakku dynasty was replaced by an Amorite dynasty of Zimri-Lim.

Chronology of Qala’at al-Bahrain

StratumPotts (1983)Bibby (1984)Ancient ListDescription
City IAkkadian—Ur III
(2254-2025 BC)		Jemdet-Nasr—Early Dynastic
(3000-2300 BC)		Early Dynastic
(2650-2150 BC)
  • Early Dilmun Stamp Seals with banqueting scenes
  • Chain Ridge Ware
  • Probably contemporary with Umm an-Nar Culture
  • Solid-Footed Goblets found at Barbar Temple probably contemporary with this level
  • Probably contemporary with Intercultural-style chlorite vessels although none found at Qal'at al-Bahrain
City IIIsin-Larsa
(c. 1900-1700BC)		Akkadian—Isin-Larsa
(2300-1700 BC)		Akkadian—Isin-Larsa
(2150-1600 BC)
  • City fortified with wall
  • A golden era when city became trading emporium
  • Majority of Dilmun Seals come from this level
  • Barbar Ware
  • Contemporary with serie recente steatite vessels although none were found at Qal'at al-Bahrain
City IIIKassite
(1600-1155 BC)		Kassite
(1500-1155 BC)
  • tablets from Kassite period
  • Durand Stone
© 2026 AFS — Terms and Conditions — Privacy   Report a problem