| Invention | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 BCE | Glass Tools | Africa | Njoro River in East Africa from black volcanic glass |
| 2000 BCE | Medical Prescriptions | Sumeria | recorded on stone tablets |
| 2000 BCE | Obelisk | Egypt | in Heliopolis (near modern Cairo) |
| 2000 BCE | Paved Roads | Crete | by the Minoans |
| 2000 BCE | Sanitation | Crete | by the Minoans |
| 2000 BCE | Underwater Tunnel | Babylonia | under River Euphrates (modern day Iraq) connecting king's palace with temple |
| 2000 BCE | Wooden Locks | Egypt | |
| 1850 BCE | Contraceptives | Egypt | |
| 1800 BCE | Corset | Crete | dated from a statue |
| 1800 BCE | Dyes | Crete | permanent purple dye for cloth from a marine snail |
| 1800 BCE | Positional Notation | Babylonia | based on 60s improved the writing of numbers |
| 1800 BCE | Use of Iron | Hittite | in modern Turkey |
| 1750 BCE | Formal Medicine | Babylonia | formalisation of its study and practice |
| 1700 BCE | The Alphabet | Phoenicia | in Ugarit (present day Syria) simplified learning to write |
| 1600 BCE | Chocolate | Central America | in modern Honduras |
| 1600 BCE | Rubber | Central America | from a tree sap - balls used in modern Mexico |
| 1500 BCE | Glazed Pottery | China | waterproof containers |
| 1500 BCE | Kiln Fired Bricks | Mesopotamia | for stronger buildings |
| 1500 BCE | Shoes | Egypt | left and right feet different |
| 1500 BCE | The Oar | Phoenicia | may have been used in China c2700BC |
| 1500 BCE | Water Tap | Egypt | |
| 1400 BCE | Brush | Egypt | using hogs hair, later horse hair |
| 1400 BCE | Chariot | Egypt | introduced by the invading Hyksos (nomadic Asians) |
| 1400 BCE | Steel | Hittite | adding carbon to iron |
| 1300 BCE | Fertility Tests | Egypt | |
| 1200 BCE | Metal Swords | Egypt | |
| 1200 BCE | Ships With Keels | Phoenicia | |
| 1200 BCE | Stellar Navigation | Phoenicia | using the pole star |
| 1150 BCE | Topographic Maps | Egypt | |
| 1000 BCE | Dictionary | China | re-invented by Samual Johnson (England, 1604) |
| 1000 BCE | Kite | China |
Two other Indo-European speaking peoples make their appearance around 1600 BCE. The Greeks, reached the Mediterranean area from the north. The Sanskrit speaking Ayrians invaded the the Indus Valley, destroying the existing civilisation; they would become the ancestors of the north Indians. Around 1000 BCE, another Indo-European people, the Tocharians, reached western China; they are unknown apart from a few written tablets.
The invention of the alphabet allowed writing to become accessible to all. Far fewer symbols were required to express complex ideas. It could also be easilly adapted to other languages.
The original consonant-only alphabet of the Semitic-speaking Phoenicians spread West to Cyprus where vowels were added to adapt it to the Greek language. The Greek alphabet was adapted by the Etruscans and finally ended up in the Roman Empire as the Latin alphabet, used by many languages in the modern era (including on this web page).
The alphabet also spread East to give the modern Arabic and Hebrew alphabets as well as the many scripts of India and East Asia. Apart from China, all writing now uses alphabetic based writing.
The Babylonians developed positional notation based on the number 60 for writing numbers. This is the origin of 60 seconds in a minute (both for time and angles), 60 minutes in an hour, and 360 degrees in a complete turn. They also worked out the concept of squares and square roots. Hammurabi, king of Babylon, was born 1792 BCE. He set up one of earliest law codes. His 282 laws included "an eye for an eye" and "let the buyer beware".
The Hindu calendar dates from c1000 BCE.
Civilisation arrived in Palestine c1800 BCE. The Canaanites founded Urusalim (the modern Jerusalem) around 1400 BCE. Judaism began around 1200 BCE. The nomadic Hebrews defeated the Canaanites 1125 BCE. According to the Jewish and Christian Bible, the prophet Moses was active around 1250 BCE while David ruled a large Jewish empire around 1000 BCE. Most historians consider both characters to be mythical.
Ahmose was an Egyptian scribe who compiled a book on Egyptian mathematics around 1650 BCE. Around 1490 BCE Egypt had a female Pharoah: Hatshepsut. The Egyptian boy king, Tutankhamun (19) died in 1325 BCE and was buried at Thebes; it would remain undisturbed for over 3200 years. Ramases II built the great temple at Abu Simbel in 1270 BCE. After being hidden by sand, it was re-descovered in 1813. In 1964 the whole structure was moved to save it from flooding caused by the Aswan High Dam. During his reign, the world's oldest peace treaty was signed with the Hittites.
Stonehenge was completed in England c1500 BCE.
Kabul was founded (in modern Afghanistan) around 2000 BCE. Athens was founded in 1235 BCE. Troy (in modern Turkey) fell in 1184 BCE. Bishkek (modern Kyrgyzstan) dates from 1000 BCE.
Civilisation began in Central America with the Olmecs (Mexico, Guatemala in 1250 BCE) and in South America with the Chavin culture (Peru, 1200 BCE) and the Paracas (also in Peru, 1100 BCE). Irrigation canals were being used in North America (modern Arizona) c1000 BCE.
In 1645 BCE the Mediterranean island of Thera exploded destroying the Minoan civilisation on Crete. This was the origin of the legend of Atlantis.
