The world in the 2nd century BCE
In the 2nd century BCE (200 to 101 BCE), the timeline shows 87 states, empires and colonies and 126 peoples across 12 regions. The most significant include Carthage, Roman Republic, Parthian Empire, Xiongnu Empire and Ptolemaic Kingdom.
Previous: 3rd century BCE Next: 1st century BCE
Events
- Destruction of Carthage, North and West Africa. Roman forces under Scipio Aemilianus storm and burn Carthage after a three-year siege, ending the Third Punic War. Its territory becomes the province of Africa.
- Zhang Qian travels west, Central and North Asia. The Han envoy Zhang Qian sets out to find the Yuezhi. His reports of Fergana, Bactria and Parthia lead to the opening of the Silk Road.
- Han conquest of Nanyue, Southeast Asia. Han armies take the Nanyue capital at Panyu, bringing northern Vietnam under Chinese rule for most of the next thousand years.
Central and Southern Africa
- Western Bantu-speaking farmers
- Eastern Bantu-speaking farmers
- Central African forest foragers
- San hunter-gatherers
- Khoisan hunter-gatherers
- Pastoral Neolithic herders
- Bantu farmers of the Congo basin
- Urewe culture
- East African hunter-gatherers
- Lower Congo hunter-gatherers
- Great Lakes hunter-gatherers
- Pre-settlement Madagascar
North and West Africa
- Carthage
- Ptolemaic Kingdom
- Nok culture
- Kingdom of Kush (Meroitic period)
- Roman Africa
- Numidia
- Amazigh (Berber) tribes
- Cushitic-speaking pastoralists
- Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads
- Sahelian cereal farmers
- West African yam and oil palm farmers
- Chadic-speaking farmers
- Sao culture
- Jenne-Jeno (Middle Niger towns)
- Garamantes
- Cyrene and the Greek Pentapolis
- Mauretania
Europe
- Roman Republic
- Gaelic Ireland
- Iron Age Britons
- Gauls
- Sparta
- Roman Hispania
- Sarmatians
- Etruscan civilization
- Kingdom of Macedon
- La Tene culture
- Sami people
- Volga Finnic peoples
- Baltic Finnic tribes
- Basques (Vascones)
- Baltic tribes
- Thracians
- Talayotic culture
- Illyrians
- Italic peoples
- Bosporan Kingdom
- Przeworsk culture
- Getae and Dacians
- Jastorf culture
- Iberians
- Massalia
- Aquitani
- Roman Macedonia and Achaea
- Celtiberians
- Odrysian Kingdom
- Pre-Roman Iron Age (Scandinavia)
- Cisalpine Gauls
- Kingdom of Noricum
- Kingdom of Epirus
- Achaean League
Middle East
- Parthian Empire
- Kingdom of Saba
- Greek cities of Asia Minor
- Kingdom of Iberia (Kartli)
- Himyarite Kingdom
- Roman Anatolia
- Nabataean Kingdom
- Seleucid Empire
- Kingdom of Pontus
- Artaxiad Armenia
- Kingdom of Pergamon
- Arab Bedouin tribes
- Aramaic-speaking Mesopotamians
- Kingdom of Hadramawt
- Kingdom of Qataban
- Gerrha
- Caucasian Albania
- Kingdom of Ma'in
- Atropatene
- Kingdom of Persis
- Dedan and Lihyan
- Colchis
- Osroene
- Orontid Armenia
- Elymais
- Characene
- Kingdom of Cappadocia
- Galatia
- Commagene
- Kingdom of Bithynia
- Lycian League
- Hasmonean kingdom
- Ptolemaic Coele-Syria
South Asia
- Maurya Empire
- Anuradhapura Kingdom
- Indo-Greek Kingdom
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
- Shunga Empire
- Munda-speaking peoples
- Tibeto-Burman hill peoples
- Vedda people
- Eastern Iranian peoples
- Megalithic culture of the Deccan
- Iron Age villages of western India
- Early Cholas
- Early Cheras
- Yaudheya confederacy
- Early Pandyas
- Kuninda Kingdom
- Malava Republic
- Northern Black Polished Ware culture
- Yuezhi in Bactria
Central and North Asia
- Xiongnu Empire
- Sogdiana
- Kingdom of Khotan
- Saka
- Yuezhi
- Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
- Uralic hunter-fishers of western Siberia
- Yukaghir peoples
- Chukchi, Koryak and Itelmen peoples
- Ancient Chorasmia
- Subeixi culture
- Old Bering Sea culture
- Kangju
- Jushi kingdom
- Loulan (Shanshan)
- Wusun
- Tagar culture
- Massagetae
East Asia
- Western Han
- Gojoseon
- Yayoi period
- Nanyue
- Formosan Austronesian peoples
- Qiang peoples
- Sushen and Yilou
- Baiyue peoples
- Zhangzhung
- Epi-Jomon culture
- Buyeo
- Lelang Commandery
- Dian kingdom
- Minyue
Southeast Asia
- Austronesian peoples
- Austroasiatic rice farmers
- Ban Chiang culture
- Austroasiatic rice farmers of the Mekong
- Austronesian peoples of Sumatra and Malaya
- Austronesian farmers of Java and Wallacea
- Pyu city-states
- Dong Son culture
- First Chinese domination (Han)
- Philippine Negrito foragers
- Orang Asli (Semang and Senoi)
- Dayak peoples of Borneo
- Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers of Burma
- Sa Huynh culture
- Plain of Jars culture
- Buni culture
- Nanyue (Nam Viet)
- Au Lac
North America
- Dorset culture
- Adena culture
- Unangan (Aleut) peoples
- California Archaic hunter-gatherers
- Dene (Northern Athabaskan) peoples
- Locarno Beach and Marpole cultures
- Basketmaker culture
- Early Agricultural period farmers
- Woodland period cultures
- Norton tradition
- Laurel complex
- Plains Woodland cultures
Mesoamerica and Caribbean
- Chibchan chiefdoms (Costa Rica and Panama)
- Zapotec state (Monte Albán)
- Saladoid culture
- El Mirador
- Casimiroid culture
- Guayabo de Turrialba
- Early farmers of the northern deserts
- Greater Nicoya cultures
- Cholula
- Kaminaljuyu
- Teuchitlán tradition
- Cuicuilco
- Izapa
- Epi-Olmec culture
South America
- Chavín culture
- Paracas culture
- Fuegian canoe peoples (Yaghan, Kawésqar)
- Sambaqui shell-mound builders
- Barrancoid culture
- Chiripa culture
- Zenú culture
- Upano valley settlements
- Formative cultures of northwest Argentina
- Tumaco-La Tolita culture
- Pukara culture
Oceania
- Aboriginal Australian peoples
- Papuan farmers and foragers
- Ancestral Polynesian society
- Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples
- Uninhabited
- Uninhabited
- Uninhabited
- Torres Strait Islanders
- Island Melanesian societies
- Pre-Latte Chamorro
- Fijian chiefdoms