The astrolabe is invented, perhaps by the Appolonius of Perga in Greece
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers and navigators to measure the inclined position in the sky of a celestial body, day or night.
Civilization (3000 B.C.E. - 500 C.E.)
Liu Beng founds the Han Dynasty in China
Spanning over four centuries, the Han dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history, and influenced the identity of the Chinese civilization ever since.
The Silk Road is formally established – connecting China, the Middle East, and other ancient civilizations
The network was used regularly from 130 B.C.E., when the Han Dynasty of China officially opened trade with the west, to 1453 C.E., when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with the west and closed the routes.
Masinissa founds the kingdom of Numidia
Numidia (202 B.C.E. – 40 B.C.E., Berber: Inumiden) was an ancient Berber kingdom of the Numidians, located in what is now Algeria and a smaller part of Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco in the Berber world.
Modu Chanyu founds the Xiongnu Empire in modern-day Mongolia
The Xiongnu were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century B.C.E. to the late 1st century C.E.
Compass invented in China
Used in Ancient China as early as the Qin dynasty or before, compasses were originally developed for aligning buildings with directions and as a tool used in fortune telling.
Hannibal, one of history’s greatest military tacticians, marches elephants over the Alps
Hannibal Barca is considered one of the greatest generals of antiquity and his tactics are still studied and used in the present day.
Construction begins on the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is an ancient series of walls and fortifications, totaling more than 13,000 miles in length, located in northern China. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of China and its long and vivid history, the Great Wall was originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads. To this day, construction of the “Wan Li Chang Cheng,” or 10,000-Li-Long Wall, is one of the most ambitious building projects ever undertaken by any civilization.
The Qin Dynasty unites China for the first time
A series of victories by the state of Qin towards the end of the Warring States period resulted in their complete conquest of China in 221 B.C.E. when the Qin empire unified China for the first time in its history.
The city of Djenné-Djenno thrives in modern-day Mali
It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to be among the oldest urbanized centers and the best-known archaeology site in sub-Saharan Africa.