relatively peaceful, well-organized, complex technocratic state called the 3rd dynasty of Ur. This dynasty was later to become involved with a wave of nomadic invaders known as the Amorites, who were to play a major role in the region during the following centuries. Cultures Near East c. 4th millennium BC–5th century BC: Old Dilmun period. c. 2900–2350 BC: Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia) c. 2334–2154 BC: Akkadian Empire 3100–2686 BC: Early Dynastic Period (Egypt) c. 2700 BC–1600 BC: Old Elamite period. 2686–2181 BC Old Kingdom of Egypt 2181–2055 BC First Intermediate Period of Egypt c. 3000 BC: Nubian A-Group Culture comes to an end. c. 2300 BC: Nubian C-Group culture. Europe c. 3200 BC: Cycladic culture in Aegean islands of Greece. c. 3200 BC–3100 BC: Helladic culture in mainland Greece. c. 3200 BC–2800 BC: Ozieri culture. Founding of Europe's oldest civilization, the Minoan Civilization in 3000 BC. Corded Ware culture (also Battle-axe culture, or Single Grave culture). Late Maikop culture. Late Vinca culture. Globular Amphora culture. Early Beaker culture. Yamnaya culture, Catacomb culture, likely loci of Indo-European Satemization. The Sintashta-Petrovka-Arkaim culture emerges from the Catacomb culture from about 2200 BC, likely locus of Proto-Indo-Iranian. Butmir culture. Late Funnelbeaker culture. Baden culture. Gaudo culture. South Asia 2800 BC–2600 BC: Harappan 2. 2600 BC–1900 BC: Harappan 3 (Mature Harappan). East and Southeast Asia Longshan culture Baodun culture Shijiahe culture Liangzhu culture Majiayao culture Lower Xiajiadian culture c. 2500 BC: Austronesian peoples from Formosa colonize Luzon in northern Philippines. Americas Mesoamerican Archaic period Old Copper Complex Caral/Norte Chico civilization. Sub-Saharan Africa Savanna Pastoral Neolithic Events Certain 4th millennium BC events were precursors to the 3rd millennium BC: c. 3700-1800 BC: Caral-Supe Chico civilization. Caral-Supe flourished between the fourth and second millennia BC, with the formation of the first city generally dated to around 3500 BC, at Huaricanga, in the Fortaleza area. It is from 3100 BC onward that large-scale human settlement and communal construction become clearly apparent, which lasted until a period of decline around 1800 BC. c.3500 BC-3000 BC Huaricanga is the earliest city of the Norte Chico civilization, called Caral or Caral-Supe in Peru and Spanish language sources. "It existed around 3500 BC and was the oldest city in the Americas and one of the earliest cities in the world." It is located in the arid Fortaleza Valley on Peru's north central coast and is 14 mi (23 km) inland from the