c. 12th century BCE★★★★★
Trojan War (traditional date)
Ancient Greek tradition placed the war between the Greeks and Troy around the 12th century BCE; its historicity remains debated.
WarCulture· Turkey
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Events this year
Ongoing
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
c. 16th century BCE – c. 11th century BCE★★★★★
Mycenaean civilization emerges in Greece
Mycenaean civilization, the first advanced civilization of mainland Greece, develops fortified palace centres and Linear B writing.
Culture· Greece
c. 16th century BCE – c. 11th century BCE★★★★★
Shang dynasty rules the Yellow River valley
The Shang is the earliest Chinese dynasty confirmed by archaeology, leaving oracle-bone script and sophisticated bronzes.
DynastyCulture· China
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
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