Ancient World
Queen Himiko of Yamatai: Japan's Shaman Ruler in Chinese Records
Wei recognised Himiko as 'Queen of Wa, Friend of Wei'; her embassy is the best-documented early diplomatic contact between a Japanese ruler and China.
Era · c. 3000 BC – AD 500
Ancient World
The first cities, empires and written records, from the pyramids of Egypt to Greece and the Roman Empire.
Ancient World
Mani and Manichaeism: A New World Religion in Sasanian Persia
Mani founded a missionary religion that spread across Eurasia, flourished for centuries in Central Asia and China, and then disappeared as an organised faith.
Ancient World
Decian Persecution (250): The First Empire-Wide Persecution
Many Christians sacrificed or bought certificates and some were executed; the persecution ended by 251 but left a lasting dispute over the readmission of the lapsed.
Ancient World
Lord of Sipán: The Richest Royal Tomb Found in the Americas
The first intact tomb of a Moche ruler ever excavated scientifically, transforming knowledge of Moche kingship and ritual.
Ancient World
Siege of Dura-Europos (256): Sasanian Assault on a Roman Town
The Sasanians captured Dura-Europos and the town was abandoned, but the Roman defensive works preserved many of its buildings under earth.
Ancient World
Battle of Edessa (260): Shapur I Captures Emperor Valerian
Sasanian victory; the emperor Valerian was captured and died in captivity, deepening Rome's 3rd-century crisis.
Ancient World
Liu Hui and the Nine Chapters: Mathematics in Ancient China
Liu Hui's commentary turned a book of practical rules into a reasoned mathematical work and gave a rigorous method for approximating pi.
Ancient World
Zenobia and the Palmyrene Empire (270-273): Revolt in the East
Aurelian defeated Zenobia in 272, captured her and destroyed Palmyra after a second revolt in 273, restoring Roman rule in the east.
Ancient World
Aurelian Walls (271): The Fortification of Ancient Rome
Rome was enclosed by a circuit of about 19 kilometres of walls that defined the city for some 1,600 years; much of it still stands.
Ancient World
Jin Reunification of China (280): The End of the Three Kingdoms
Wu surrendered to the Western Jin, reuniting China under one dynasty for the first time since the collapse of Han authority, though only for about a generation.
Ancient World
Xitle Eruption: The Lava That Buried Cuicuilco in Ancient Mexico
Lava flows covered Cuicuilco and some 70-80 square kilometres of the southern Valley of Mexico, ending the settlement's long occupation.
Ancient World
Tikal Stela 29: The Oldest Dated Lowland Maya Monument
Its date became the conventional marker for the start of the Classic Maya period in the southern lowlands.