Gilgamesh

4000 – 3500 Sumerians settle on the site of the city of Babylon

Sumerian writing, done on clay tablets (some 2000 pictographs)

3500 – 3000 Height of Sumerian civilization

(Western Europe is still in the Stone Age)

(Earliest known numerals appear in Egypt)

Sumerian cuneiform developed

White Temple at Uruk built

Wheeled vehicles in use in Sumer

Sumerian economy based on agriculture and husbandry

3000 – 2500 Semitic tribes invade Mesopotamia

2750 Gilgamesh, legendary king of Uruk

First epic tales of Gilgamesh

Major religious festival in Sumer celebrates victory of god of spring over goddess of chaos

Brick temples with colored pillars in Uruk

(Troy founded)

Ziggurats appear

(The Great Sphinx is built)

Great wall of Uruk, with 900 towers, is built

Sumerian numerical system is based on 6 and 12

Iron working

Wrestling becomes the first highly developed sport

Sumerians use oil-burning lamps

Sumerians grow barley, bake bread, make beer, and begin to replace barley as legal tender

2500 – 2000 (Libraries appear in Egypt)

2100 Ishtar is worshipped as goddess of love

First map of Babylon (Mesopotamia)

Chickens domesticated in Babylon

(Abraham leaves Ur in Chaldaea)

(Egyptians discover use of papyrus)

(Oldest picture of skiing in southern Norway)