5th millennium BC

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4004 BC redirects here. For more information on 4004 BC, see Ussher chronology.

The 5th millennium BC sees the spread of agriculture from the Middle East throughout southern and central Europe. Urban cultures in Mesopotamia and Anatolia flourish, developing the wheel. Copper ornaments become more common, marking the Chalcolithic. Animal husbandry spreads throughout Eurasia, reaching China. World population grows slightly throughout the millennium, maybe from 5 to 7 million people.

[edit] Events

• 4860 BCE - Mount Mazama in Oregon collapses, forming a caldera that later fills with water and becomes Crater Lake, the deepest lake in what is now the United States. At force 7, it remains the largest single Holocene eruption in history of the Cascade Range.
• 4713 BCE - The epoch (origin) of the Julian Period described by Joseph Justus Scaliger occurred on January 1, the astronomical Julian day number zero.
• 4350 BCE - Predynastic period started in Ancient Egypt.
• 4300 BCE - Theta Boötis became the nearest visible star to the celestial north pole. It remained the closest until 3942 BC when it was replaced by Thuban.
• c. 4250 BC - 3750 BC - Menhir alignments at Menec, Carnac, France, were made.
• 4121 BCE - Eduard Meyer's date for the creation of the Egyptian calendar, based on his calculations of the Sothic cycle.
• 4004 BCE - According to the chronology of Archbishop James Ussher of Armagh, this is when the universe is created at nightfall preceding October 23.

[edit] Cultures

• 5000 BCE – The beginning of the Yangshao culture in China.
• 4900 BCE - 4600 BC; arrangements of circular ditches are built in Central Europe.
• 4500 BCE – Civilization of Susa and Kish in Mesopotamia and Khuzestan (see Sialk).
• 4200 BCE - Date of Mesolithic examples of Naalebinding found in Denmark, marking spread of technology to Northern Europe. (Bender 1990)
• 4000 BCE - 3000 BCE; Complex societies with hierarchies of priests and kings began to appear in Mesopotamia.
• Cucuteni culture in Central Europe.
• The chalcolithic Sredny Stog, Samara and early Maykop cultures, candidates for the early Proto-Indo-Europeans

[edit] Periods

• c. 4570–4250 BCE – Merimde culture on the Nile
• c. 4400–4000 BCE – Badari culture on the Nile

[edit] Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• from ca. 5000 BCE: development of proto-writing systems, possibly ideographic: Vinca script, Tartaria tablets.
• ca. 4500 BCE – Introduction of the plough in Europe
• Domestication of the Water Buffalo in China
• Development of beer brewing
• Development of the wheel in Mesopotamia and Europe