rect 1 1 1279 719 Assyrian EmpireThe 1st millennium BC, also known as the last millennium BC, was the period of time lasting from the years 1000 BC to 1 BC (10th to 1st centuries BC; in astronomy: JD – [1]). It encompasses the Iron Age in the Old World and sees the transition from the Ancient Near East to classical antiquity.
World population roughly doubled over the course of the millennium, from about 100 million to about 200–250 million.[2]
See also: Ancient history and Human history.
The Neo-Assyrian Empire dominates the Near East in the early centuries of the millennium, supplanted by the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century. Ancient Egypt is in decline, and falls to the Achaemenids in 525 BC.
In Greece, Classical Antiquity begins with the colonization of Magna Graecia and peaks with the conquest of the Achaemenids and the subsequent flourishing of Hellenistic civilization (4th to 2nd centuries).
The Roman Republic supplants the Etruscans and then the Carthaginians (5th to 3rd centuries). The close of the millennium sees the rise of the Roman Empire. The early Celtic culture dominate Central Europe while Northern Europe is in the Pre-Roman Iron Age. In East Africa, the Nubian Empire and Aksum arise.
In South Asia, the Vedic civilization gives rise to the Maurya Empire. The Scythians dominate Central Asia. In China, the Zhou dynasty rules the Chinese heartland at the beginning of the millennium. The decline of the Zhou dynasty during Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period sees the rise of such philosophical and spiritual traditions as Confucianism and Taoism. Towards the close of the millennium, the Han dynasty extends Chinese power towards Central Asia, where it borders on Indo-Greek and Iranian states. Japan is in the Yayoi period.
The Olmec civilization declines, and the Maya and Zapotec civilizations emerge in Mesoamerica. The Chavín culture flourishes in Peru.
The first millennium BC is the formative period of the classical world religions, with the development of early Judaism and Zoroastrianism in the Near East, and Vedic religion and Vedanta, Jainism and Buddhism in India. Early literature develops in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Tamil and Chinese. The term Axial Age, coined by Karl Jaspers, is intended to express the crucial importance of the period of c. the 8th to 2nd centuries BC in world history.
World population more than doubled over the course of the millennium, from about an estimated 50–100 million to an estimated 170–300 million.Close to 90% of world population at the end of the first millennium BC lived in the Iron Age civilizations of the Old World (Roman Empire, Parthian Empire, Graeco-Indo-Scythian and Hindu kingdoms, Han China). The population of the Americas was below 20 million, concentrated in Mesoamerica (Epi-Olmec culture);that of Sub-Saharan Africa was likely below 10 million. The population of Oceania was likely less than one million people.[2]
See main article: Ancient history.
See also: Iron Age, Classical Antiquity and Axial Age.
872 BC: Nile floods the Temple of Luxor
Egypt: Kushite invasion (25th dynasty)
China: Spring and Autumn period
Greece: First Olympiad
Europe: foundation of Rome
Assyrian conquest of Egypt
See main article: Ancient literature.
See main article: Greek literature and Latin literature. Archaic period
Classical period
Hellenistic to Roman period
See main article: Chinese literature.
See main article: Ancient Hebrew writings and Hebrew Bible.
See also: Iron Age and Pre-Columbian Americas.
| Culture | Region | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urnfield culture | Europe, Central | 1300–750 BC | Bronze Age Europe |
| Atlantic Bronze Age | Europe, Western | 1300–700 BC | Bronze Age Europe |
| Painted Grey Ware culture | South Asia | 1200–600 BC | Bronze Age India, Indo-Aryan migration |
| Europe, North | 1100–550 BC | Bronze Age Europe | |
| Villanovan culture | Europe, Italy | 1100–700 BC | Iron Age Europe |
| Greece | 1100–800 BC | Dorian invasion | |
| Near East | 1000–586 BC | Ancient Near East, List of archaeological periods (Levant) | |
| Sa Huỳnh culture | Southeast Asia, Vietnam | 1000 BC–AD 200 | |
| Woodland period | North America | 1000 BC – AD 1000 | List of archaeological periods (North America) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 1000 BC–AD 500 | ||
| Sub-Saharan Africa, West | 900–300 BC | Iron metallurgy in Africa | |
| Novocherkassk culture | Europe, Eastern | 900–650 BC | |
| Chavín de Huántar | South America, Peru[5] | 1200–500 BC | |
| Poverty Point earthworks | North America, Louisiana | 1650–700 BC | |
| Mesoamerica | 1500–400 BC | ||
| Adena culture | North America, Ohio | 1000–200 BC | |
| Liaoning bronze dagger culture | East Asia | 800–600 BC | |
| East Asia, Korea | 800–300 BC | ||
| Etruscan civilization | Europe, Italy | 800–264 BC | |
| South America, Peru | 800–100 BC | ||
| Europe, Central | 800 BC–500 BC | Iron Age Europe, Thraco-Cimmerian, Celts | |
| British Iron Age | Europe, Britain | 700–50 BC | Insular Celts |
| Mesoamerica | 700 BC – AD 700 | ||
| Central Asia | 600–300 BC | Scythians, Saka, Pazyryk burials | |
| Central Asia | 600–300 BC | Scythians, Saka | |
| Europe, Central/Western | 500–50 BC | Gauls | |
| Europe, North | 500–50 BC | Proto-Germanic | |
| Northern Black Polished Ware | South Asia | 500–300 BC | Vedic period |
| East Asia, Korea | 550–300 BC | ||
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 400 BC–AD 500 | Iron metallurgy in Africa | |
| Sub-Saharan Africa, West | 300–1 BC | Iron metallurgy in Africa | |
| South America, Peru | 100 BC–800 AD | ||
| Calima culture | South America, Colombia | 200 BC–400 AD | |
| North America | 100 BC–AD 400 | ||
| Teotihuacan | Mesoamerica | 100 BC –AD 550 | |
| Ipiutak site | North America, Alaska | 100 BC –AD 800[6] |
See also: List of solar eclipses in antiquity.