View source for 2nd millennium BC

{{short description|Millennium between 2000 BC and 1001 BC}}
{{Millenniumbox|-2}}
<imagemap>File:2nd millennium BC montage.jpg|thumb|400x400px|From top left clockwise: [[Hammurabi]], Babylonian king, best known for his [[Code of Hammurabi|code of laws]]; The gold [[Mask of Tutankhamun|funerary mask]] of [[Tutankhamun]] has become a symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization and its enduring legacy; [[Nebra sky disc]] is considered the oldest concrete representation of astronomical phenomena, such as the sun, moon, and stars; The Lion Gate of [[Hattusa]] is a testament to the architectural and artistic skills of the [[Hittites]]; Hieroglyphs from the tomb of [[Seti I]]; [[Mask of Agamemnon]] (Background: [[Bull-Leaping Fresco]] ca. 1450-1400 BC).
rect 23 27 345 383 [[Hammurabi]]
rect 433 16 775 443 [[Tutankhamun]]
rect 869 18 1264 338 [[Nebra sky disc]]
rect 103 408 375 680 [[Mask of Agamemnon]]
rect 466 470 833 705 [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]]
rect 870 392 1262 656 [[Hittites]]

rect 1 1 1279 719 [[Minoan civilization]]
</imagemap>
The '''2nd millennium BC''' spanned the years 2000 BC to 1001 BC. 
In the [[Ancient Near East]], it marks the transition from the Middle to the Late [[Bronze Age]].
The Ancient Near Eastern cultures are well within the historical era:
The first half of the millennium is dominated by the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt]] and [[Babylonia]]. The [[Middle Bronze Age alphabets|alphabet]] develops. 
At the center of the millennium, a new order emerges with [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean Greek]] dominance of the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] and the rise of the [[Hittite Empire]]. The end of the millennium sees the [[Bronze Age collapse]] and the transition to the [[Iron Age]].

Other regions of the world are still in the prehistoric period. In Europe, the [[Beaker culture]] introduces the [[Bronze Age Europe|Bronze Age]], presumably associated with [[Indo-European expansion]]. The [[Indo-Iranians|Indo-Iranian]] expansion reaches the [[Iranian plateau]] and onto the [[Indian subcontinent]] ([[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic India]]), propagating the use of the [[chariot]]. [[Mesoamerican chronology|Mesoamerica]] enters the Pre-Classic ([[Olmec]]) period. North America is in the late [[Archaic Period (Americas)|Archaic stage]]. In Maritime Southeast Asia, the [[Austronesian peoples|Austronesian]] expansion reaches [[Micronesia]]. In [[Sub-Saharan Africa]], the [[Bantu expansion]] begins.

[[World population estimates|World population]] rose steadily, possibly surpassing the 100 million mark for the first time.<ref name=HYDE2011>Klein Goldewijk, K., A. Beusen, M. de Vos and G. van Drecht (2011). The HYDE 3.1 spatially explicit database of human induced land use change over the past 12,000 years, Global Ecology and Biogeography20(1): 73–86. {{doi|10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00587.x}} ([http://themasites.pbl.nl/tridion/en/themasites/hyde/download/index-2.html pbl.nl]).
Jean-Noël Biraben, "Essai sur l'évolution du nombre des hommes", ''Population'' 34-1 (1979), 13–25  (p. 22) estimates c. 80 million in 2000 BC and c. 100 million at 1200 BC.</ref>

==The world in the 2nd millennium BC==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2024}}
[[File:World in 1000 BCE.png|centre|thumb|550px|Overview map of the world at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, color-coded by cultural stage:
{{legend|#FFFF00|Palaeolithic or Mesolithic hunter-gatherers}}
{{legend|#800080|nomadic pastoralists}}
{{legend|#00FF00|simple farming societies}}
{{legend|#FF8040|complex farming societies ([[Old World]] [[Bronze Age]], [[Olmecs]], [[Andean civilizations|Andes]])}}
{{legend|#8080FF|state societies ([[Early Iron Age|Fertile Crescent]], [[Zhou China|China]])}} ]]

[[Image:East-Hem 1000bc.jpg|thumb|550px|centre|Map of the Eastern Hemisphere in 1000 BC, just after the end of the 2nd millennium BC.]]

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2024}}
{{Bronze Age}}

See the article on [[chronology of the ancient Near East]] for a discussion regarding the accuracy and resolution of dates for events of the 2nd millennium BC in the Near East.

===Middle Bronze Age===
Spending much of their energies in trying to recuperate from the chaotic situation that existed at the turn of the millennium, the most powerful civilizations of the time, [[History of ancient Egypt|Egypt]] and [[Mesopotamia]], turned their attention to more modest goals. The [[List of pharaohs|Pharaoh]]s of the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt]] and their contemporary [[List of kings of Babylon|Kings of Babylon]], of [[Amorite]] origin, brought governance that was largely popular and approved of among their subjects, and favoured elegant art and architecture. Farther east, the [[Indus Valley civilization]] was in a period of decline, possibly as a result of intense, ruinous flooding.

Egypt and Babylonia's military tactics were still based on foot soldiers transporting their equipment on [[donkey]]s. 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.

==== Unrest of the 16th century ====
About a century before the middle of the millennium, bands of [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] invaders came from the [[Central Asia]]n plains and swept through [[Western Asia]] and [[Northeast Africa]]. They were riding fast two-wheeled [[chariot]]s powered by [[horse]]s, a system of weaponry developed earlier in the context of plains warfare. This tool of war was unknown among the classical civilizations. Egypt and Babylonia's foot soldiers were unable to defend against the invaders: in [[1630 BC]], the [[Hyksos]] swept into the [[Nile Delta]], and in [[1595 BC]], the [[Hittites]] swept into [[Mesopotamia]].

===Late Bronze Age===
The people in place were quick to adapt to the new tactics, and a new international situation resulted from the change. Though during most of the second half of the 2nd millennium BC several regional powers competed relentlessly for hegemony, many developments occurred: there was new emphasis on grandiose architecture, new clothing fashions, vivid diplomatic correspondence on [[clay tablet]]s, renewed economic exchanges, and the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] of Egypt played the role of the main [[superpower]]. Among the great states of the time, only [[Babylon]] refrained from taking part in battles, mainly due to its new position as the world's religious and intellectual capital.

The [[Bronze Age]] civilization at its final period of time, displayed all its characteristic social traits: low level of urbanization, small cities centered on temples or royal palaces, strict separation of classes between an illiterate mass of peasants and craftsmen, and a powerful military [[elite]], knowledge of writing and education reserved to a tiny minority of [[scribe]]s, and pronounced [[aristocracy|aristocrat]]ic life.

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

== Empires and dynasties ==
[[File:Ancient Near East 1100BC.svg|thumb|280x280px|Empires in the [[Ancient history|Ancient]] [[Near East]] around the end of the 2nd Millennium BC]]
*[[Ancient Near East]]
** [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt]]
** [[New Kingdom of Egypt]]
** [[Kerma culture|Nubian Kerma culture]]
**[[Old Assyrian Empire]]
**[[Middle Assyrian Empire]]
** [[Elam]]
** [[Hittites]] Old Kingdom in [[Anatolia]]
*[[Vedic India]]
** [[Kuru kingdom]]<ref>The Kuru kingdom of the late Vedic period was most likely established around 1200 BC, although there are no datable contemporary references.  {{Citation | last =Pletcher | first =Kenneth | year =2010 | title =The History of India | publisher =The Rosen Publishing Group | isbn =9781615301225 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=VsujRFvaHI8C&q=Kuru+Kaushambi&pg=PA63}}
* {{Citation | last =Samuel | first =Geoffrey | year =2010 | title =The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century | publisher =Cambridge University Press}}</ref>
*[[Bronze Age China]]
** [[Shang dynasty]]
** [[Zhou dynasty]]
* [[Africa]]
** [[Land of Punt]]

==Prehistoric cultures==

;Europe
[[File:Bell Beaker culture.jpg|thumb|280x280px|Approximate spread of the Bell Beaker culture in Europe]]
Europe is still entirely within the prehistoric era; much of Europe enters the [[Bronze Age Europe|Bronze Age]] early in the 2nd millennium.
* [[Aegean civilization]]
** [[Cycladic culture]]
** [[Helladic period]]
** [[Minoan civilization]]
** [[Mycenaean Greece]] 
* [[File:Castel statue menhir.jpg|220x220px|thumb|Women figure of a [[Menhir]], typically dating to the Bronze Age]][[Beaker culture]]
* [[Terramare culture]]
* [[Tumulus culture]]
* [[Unetice culture]]
* [[Urnfield culture]]

;Central Asia
* [[Andronovo culture]]
* [[Oxus civilization]]

;East Asia
[[File:Erlitou map.svg|thumb|Approximate spread of the Erlitou culture in China]]
* [[Erlitou culture]]
* [[Wucheng culture]]

;South Asia 
*[[Ahar–Banas culture]]
*[[Cemetery H culture]]
*[[Indus valley civilization]]
*[[Jorwe culture]]
*[[Malwa culture]]
*[[Ochre Coloured Pottery culture]]

;Americas
* [[Olmec]]

;Sub-Saharan Africa
The desiccation of the [[Sahara]] is complete. Neolithisation of Sub-Saharan Africa is initiated via expansion from the dried Sahara, reaching West and East Africa. Later in the 2nd millennium, pastoralism and [[iron metallurgy in Africa|iron metallurgy]] spread to Central Africa via the [[Bantu migration]]. 
* [[Kerma culture]]
* [[Savanna Pastoral Neolithic]]
* [[Nok culture]]

== Events ==
[[File:Santorini Landsat.jpg|227x227px|thumb|Volcano eruption at Thera, {{Circa|1500 BC}}. [[Santorini|Thera]] today<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=eruption of Thera {{!}} volcanic eruption, Thera, Greece [about 1500 BCE] |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/eruption-of-Thera |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref>]]
*{{circa}} 2000 BC – [[Seima-Turbino Phenomenon]].<ref>
{{Citation
| last = Keys
| first = David
| author-link = David Keys (author)
| title = Scholars crack the code of an ancient enigma
| journal = [[BBC History (magazine)|BBC History Magazine]]
| volume = 10
| issue = 1
| pages = 9
| date = January 2009
}}</ref>
*{{circa}} [[1700 BC|1700]]–[[1300 BC]] – Palace complex in [[Knossos]], [[Crete]], was built.
*{{circa}} [[1700 BC]] earthquake damages palaces at [[Knossos]] and [[Phaistos]].
* [[1627 BC]] – [[Minoan eruption]].
*{{circa}} [[17th century BC|1600 BC]]–[[14th century BC|1360 BC]] – [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] domination over [[Canaan]] and [[Syria]].
*{{circa}} [[1575 BC]] – [[Nubia]]n [[Kingdom of Kerma|Kerma]] sacks [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]].
*{{circa}} 1500 BC – Volcanic eruption at Thera.<ref name=":0" />
*{{circa}} 1500 BC – Meteorite impact that formed the [[Kaali crater]] in [[Ancient Estonia|Estonia]].
*{{circa}} 1500 BC – Bantu expansion across central, eastern and southern Africa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cartwright |first=Mark |title=Bantu Migration |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Bantu_Migration/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=World History Encyclopedia |language=en}}</ref>
*[[1520 BC]] – [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] conquers [[Nubia]].
*[[1478 BC]] – [[Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)|Battle of Megiddo]] between Ancient Egyptians and the [[Canaan#Canaanites|Canaanites]].
*[[1269 BC]] – [[Ramses II]] and [[Hattusilis III]] sign peace treaty.
*[[1274 BC]] – [[Battle of Kadesh]] between Ancient Egyptians and Hittites.
*{{circa}} [[1250 BC]] – destruction of [[Troy VII]].
*[[1045 BC]] – [[Zhou dynasty]] founded in China.

==Inventions, discoveries, introductions==
[[File:Solvogn.jpg|220x220px|thumb|The gilded side of the [[Trundholm Sun Chariot|Trundholm sun chariot]].]]
*Chinese [[Oracle bone script]].
*[[Tumble polishing]]: Indians invented polishing method in the 10th century BC.
*[[Diamond cut|Diamond drills]]: in the 12th century BC or 7th century BC, Indians not only innovated use of diamond tipped drills but also invented double diamond tipped drills for bead manufacturing.
*[[Phoenician alphabet]].
* [[Nebra sky disk]], oldest known visual representation of the cosmos.
* Discovery of new [[Ferrous metallurgy|iron smelting and smithing]] techniques.<ref name="Childress2000">{{cite book|author=David Hatcher Childress|title=Technology of the Gods: The Incredible Sciences of the Ancients|url=https://archive.org/details/technologyofgods0000chil|url-access=registration|year=2000|publisher=Adventures Unlimited Press|isbn=978-0-932813-73-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/technologyofgods0000chil/page/77 77]}}</ref><ref name="Waldbaum1978">{{cite book|author=Jane C. Waldbaum|title=From bronze to iron: the transition from the Bronze age to the Iron age in the eastern Mediterranean|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qiy1AAAAIAAJ|year=1978|publisher=Paul Astroms Forlag|isbn=978-91-85058-79-2|page=69}} reviewed in {{cite journal |last1=Hood |first1=Sinclair |title=Jane C. Waldbaum: From Bronze to Iron. The Transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. (Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology, LIV.) Pp. 106; 15 text figures. Göteborg: Paul Åström, 1978. Paper, Sw. kr. 150. |journal=The Classical Review |date=27 February 2009 |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=304 |doi=10.1017/S0009840X00236007|s2cid=161235445 }}</ref>
* [[Spoke]]-wheeled [[chariot]]s.<ref name="Kuznetsov2">{{Cite journal|last=Kuznetsov|first=P.F.|date=2006-09-01|title=The emergence of Bronze Age chariots in eastern Europe|journal=Antiquity|volume=80|issue=309|pages=638–645|doi=10.1017/s0003598x00094096|issn=0003-598X|s2cid=162580424}}</ref>
*Oldest known [[trousers]] from a grave in [[Turpan]], western China.

==Languages==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2024}}
{{further|Bronze Age writing}}
[[File:Treaty of Kadesh.jpg|180px|thumb|The [[Treaty of Kadesh|Kadesh peace agreement]]—on display at the [[Istanbul Archaeology Museum]]—is believed to be the earliest international agreement ]]In the history of the [[Egyptian language]], the early 2nd millennium saw a transition from [[Old Egyptian language|Old Egyptian]] to [[Middle Egyptian language|Middle Egyptian]]. As the most used written form of the Ancient Egyptian language, it is frequently (incorrectly) referred to simply as "[[Hieroglyphics]]".

The earliest attested [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European language]], the [[Hittite language]], first appears in [[Hittite cuneiform|cuneiform]] in the 16th century BC ([[Anitta text]]), before disappearing from records in the 13th century BC. Hittite is the best known and the most studied language of the extinct [[Anatolian languages|Anatolian branch]] of Indo-European languages.

The first [[Northwest Semitic languages|Northwest Semitic language]], [[Ugaritic]], is attested in the 14th century BC. The first fully phonemic script [[Proto-Sinaitic script|Proto-Canaanite]] developed from Egyptian hieroglyphs, becoming the [[Phoenician alphabet]] by 1200 BC. The Phoenician alphabet was spread throughout the Mediterranean by Phoenician maritime traders and became one of the most widely used writing systems in the world, and the parent of virtually all alphabetic writing systems. The Phoenician language is also the first [[Canaanite languages|Canaanite language]], the Northwest Semitic languages spoken by the ancient peoples of the [[Canaan]] region: the [[Israelites]], [[Phoenicians]], [[Amorites]], [[Ammon]]ites, [[Moabites]] and [[Edomites]].

[[Mycenaean Greek]], the most ancient attested form of the [[Greek language]], was used on the Greek mainland, [[Crete]] and [[Cyprus]] in the [[Mycenaean period]].

==Centuries and Decades==

{| cellpadding="3" border="0"
|- style="text-align:right;"
|| '''[[20th century BC]]'''
|1990s BC
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|1960s BC
|1950s BC
|1940s BC
|1930s BC
|1920s BC
|1910s BC
|1900s BC
|- style="text-align:right;"
|| '''[[19th century BC]]'''
|1890s BC
|1880s BC
|1870s BC
|1860s BC
|1850s BC
|1840s BC
|1830s BC
|1820s BC
|1810s BC
|1800s BC
|- style="text-align:right;"
|| '''[[18th century BC]]'''
|| [[1790s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1780s BC]]
|| [[1770s BC]]
|| [[1760s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1750s BC]]
|| [[1740s BC]]
|| [[1730s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1720s BC]]
|| [[1710s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1700s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[17th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1690s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1680s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1670s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1660s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1650s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1640s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1630s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1620s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1610s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1609–1600 BC|1600s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[16th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1590s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1580s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1570s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1560s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1550s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1540s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1530s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1520s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1510s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1509–1500 BC|1500s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[15th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1490s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1480s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1470s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1460s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1450s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1440s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1430s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1420s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1410s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1409–1400 BC|1400s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[14th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1390s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1380s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1370s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1360s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1350s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1340s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1330s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1320s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1310s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1309–1300 BC|1300s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[13th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1290s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1280s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1270s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1260s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1250s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1240s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1230s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1220s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1210s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1209–1200 BC|1200s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[12th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1190s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1180s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1170s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1160s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1150s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1140s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1130s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1120s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1110s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1109–1100 BC|1100s BC]]
|-
| style="text-align:right;"| '''[[11th century BC]]'''
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1090s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1080s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1070s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1060s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1050s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1040s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1030s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1020s BC]]
| style="text-align:right;"| [[1010s BC]] || style="text-align:right;"| [[1009–1000 BC|1000s BC]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
{{Holocene}}

{{Millennia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Millennium Bc}}
[[Category:2nd millennium BC| ]]
[[Category:Millennia|-98]]