World History Timeline

Timeline

5 events

16th century BCE

  1. c. 16th century BCE – c. 5th century BCE★★★★★

    Lapita culture spreads across the western Pacific

    Bearers of the Lapita culture, known for their dentate-stamped pottery, settled islands from the Bismarck Archipelago to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, laying the foundations of Polynesian societies.

    ExplorationCulture· Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa

15th century BCE

  1. c. 15th century BCE – c. 1st century★★★★★

    Nok culture in West Africa

    The Nok culture flourished in present-day central Nigeria, known for its terracotta sculptures and as one of the earliest iron-smelting cultures in sub-Saharan Africa.

    CultureTechnology· Nigeria

12th century BCE

  1. c. 12th century BCE – c. 4th century BCE★★★★★

    Rise of the Olmec civilization

    The Olmecs develop the earliest known complex civilization of Mesoamerica along Mexico's Gulf Coast, known for their colossal stone heads.

    Culture· Mexico

10th century BCE

  1. c. 10th century BCE – c. 1st century★★★★★

    Đông Sơn culture

    A Bronze Age and early Iron Age culture of the Red River valley and north-central Vietnam, famous for its bronze drums.

    CultureTechnology· Vietnam

9th century BCE

  1. c. 814 BCE★★★★★

    Founding of Carthage

    By tradition, Phoenicians from Tyre found Carthage in North Africa, later a major commercial power of the western Mediterranean.

    PoliticsEconomy· Tunisia
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