3500 bce

Archaeology

Sumer, the world's first civilization, flourishes on the banks of the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers (called Mesopotamia, for "between the rivers") in what is now Iraq. It is formed from such city-states as Uruk, Ur, and Lagash, with no overall central government linking them. See also 4000 bce Archaeology; 2800 bce Archaeology.

The small provinces of Upper Egypt, called nomes, are united to form the single kingdom we call Upper Egypt. See also 3000 bce Archaeology.

A large -- 22 m (72 ft) high, weighing more than 250 tons -- standing stone, or menhir, known as the Grand Menhir of Locmariaquer, is erected in Brittany, probably for use in making astronomical observations. It falls or is knocked down a few centuries after it is erected. See also 2750 bce Astronomy.

Complex fired clay counting tokens, including such geometric shapes as paraboloids as well as miniature tools, furniture, fruit, and even human figures, become common in the Near East. See also 4000 bce Mathematics.

The first known examples of clay envelopes marked on the outside to tell what kind of or how many counting tokens are on the inside are left at sites in what is now Syria. See also 3700 bce Mathematics.

A ziggurat in Ur (Iraq), 12 m (36 ft) high, shows that Sumerians are familiar with columns, domes, arches, and vaults. See also 2800 bce Construction.

Candles are in use. See also 40,000 bce Energy.

The llama and alpaca are domesticated (Peru). See also 4400 bce Food & agriculture; 3100 bce Food & agriculture.

Donkeys and mules are domesticated (Israel). See also 4000 bce Food & agriculture.

Wine is known, as evidenced by the residues found in a jar from Godin Tepe (Iran), an outpost of the Uruk (Iraq) urban center. See also 6000 bce Food & agriculture; 1500 bce Food & agriculture.

The Egyptians mine iron ore and smelt iron, using it mostly for ornamental or ceremonial purposes. See also 4000 bce Materials.

People in Mesopotamia fire bricks in kilns, although sun-dried brick continues to be used for ordinary purposes. See also 6000 bce Materials.

Europeans start producing metallic copper from copper pyrites by reducing the ore in wood or charcoal fires. See also 3800 bce Materials.

A bowstave is left at Gwisho Springs (Zambia). It will become part of the earliest known pieces of direct evidence for the bow and arrow. Other evidence includes Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) bows deposited in Scandinavia and arrow shafts from about 8500 bce. See also 8500 bce Tools; 2000 bce Tools.

The first form of the potter's wheel, essentially a turntable that rotates only while being pushed and therefore used in start-stop fashion, is invented in Mesopotamia shortly before this time. See also 2500 bce Tools; 700 bce Tools. (See essay.)

Sailing ships are used by Egyptians and Sumerians. See also 4000 bce Transportation; 3100 bce Transportation. (See essay.)

Wheeled vehicles are used in Mesopotamia as evinced by a pictograph from Uruk (Iraq). Next to the wheeled vehicle is a sledge that except for the wheels is exactly the same design. See also 6500 bce Transportation; 3000 bce Transportation.

Millennium:	4th millennium BC
Centuries:	36th century BC - 35th century BC - 34th century BC
Decades:	3490s BC 3480s BC 3470s BC 3460s BC 3450s BC 3440s BC 3430s BC 3420s BC 3410s BC 3400s BC
Categories:	Births - Deaths Establishments - Disestablishments

Events

Sumerian inscription in monumental archaic style, ca. 26th century. An example of cuneiform

• c. 3500 BC-2340 BC - Sumer.
• 3450 BC (?) — Stage IId of the Naqada culture in Egypt.
• ? — The Sahara Desert starts to form from semi-arid savannah, through desertification.
• Regarded as the beginning of recorded history, though it is likely there were earlier records that have since been lost.

Decades and Years

Decades and Years

35th century BC
37th century BC←36th century BC← ↔ →34th century BC→33rd century BC

3500s BC	3509 BC	3508 BC	3507 BC	3506 BC	3505 BC	3504 BC	3503 BC	3502 BC	3501 BC	3500 BC
3490s BC	3499 BC	3498 BC	3497 BC	3496 BC	3495 BC	3494 BC	3493 BC	3492 BC	3491 BC	3490 BC
3480s BC	3489 BC	3488 BC	3487 BC	3486 BC	3485 BC	3484 BC	3483 BC	3482 BC	3481 BC	3480 BC
3470s BC	3479 BC	3478 BC	3477 BC	3476 BC	3475 BC	3474 BC	3473 BC	3472 BC	3471 BC	3470 BC
3460s BC	3469 BC	3468 BC	3467 BC	3466 BC	3465 BC	3464 BC	3463 BC	3462 BC	3461 BC	3460 BC
3450s BC	3459 BC	3458 BC	3457 BC	3456 BC	3455 BC	3454 BC	3453 BC	3452 BC	3451 BC	3450 BC
3440s BC	3449 BC	3448 BC	3447 BC	3446 BC	3445 BC	3444 BC	3443 BC	3442 BC	3441 BC	3440 BC
3430s BC	3439 BC	3438 BC	3437 BC	3436 BC	3435 BC	3434 BC	3433 BC	3432 BC	3431 BC	3430 BC
3420s BC	3429 BC	3428 BC	3427 BC	3426 BC	3425 BC	3424 BC	3423 BC	3422 BC	3421 BC	3420 BC
3410s BC	3419 BC	3418 BC	3417 BC	3416 BC	3415 BC	3414 BC	3413 BC	3412 BC	3411 BC	3410 BC
3400s BC	3409 BC	3408 BC	3407 BC	3406 BC	3405 BC	3404 BC	3403 BC	3402 BC	3401 BC	3400 BC
3390s BC	3399 BC	3398 BC	3397 BC	3396 BC	3395 BC	3394 BC	3393 BC	3392 BC	3391 BC	3390 BC

Centuries and Millennia

Millennium	Century
Before Christ / Before Common Era (BC/BCE)
4th:	40th	39th	38th	37th	36th	35th	34th	33rd	32nd	31st
3rd:	30th	29th	28th	27th	26th	25th	24th	23rd	22nd	21st
2nd:	20th	19th	18th	17th	16th	15th	14th	13th	12th	11th
1st:	10th	9th	8th	7th	6th	5th	4th	3rd	2nd	1st
Anno Domini / Common Era (AD/CE)
1st:	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
2nd:	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th
3rd:	21st	22nd	23rd	24th	25th	26th	27th	28th	29th	30th
4th:	31st

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