Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads

Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads appears on the timeline as a people or culture of Nubia and Sudan (North and West Africa) from c. 2300 BCE to the present, a span of 4,324 years. Its people spoke Cushitic languages (Somali, Oromo, Beja, Afar).

Nomads of the Eastern Desert between the Nile and the Red Sea, known as Medjay to the Egyptians, Blemmyes to the Romans and Beja to the Arabs. They still herd camels in eastern Sudan and Eritrea.

See Medjay, Blemmyes and Beja nomads on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 2300 BCE to the present

Duration

4,324 years

Type

People or culture

Region

Nubia and Sudan, North and West Africa

Language family

Cushitic

Events in North and West Africa during its time

• 1470 BCE Hatshepsut's expedition to Punt
• 1346 BCE Akhenaten founds Amarna
• 814 BCE Founding of Carthage
• 728 BCE Piye conquers Egypt
• 500 BCE Iron smelting in West Africa
• 331 BCE Founding of Alexandria
• 146 BCE Destruction of Carthage
• 30 BCE Death of Cleopatra

Neighbours in North and West Africa

• Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE
• Kingdom of Aksum c. 100 to 940 CE
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE
• Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE
• Old Kingdom of Egypt c. 2686 to 2181 BCE
• New Kingdom of Egypt c. 1550 to 1069 BCE
• Mali Empire c. 1235 to 1670 CE
• Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE
• Mamluk Sultanate 1250 to 1517 CE
• Fatimid Caliphate 909 to 1171 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Minoan civilization c. 3100 to 1450 BCE, Europe
• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE, Southeast Asia
• Moche (Mochica) c. 100 to 800 CE, South America
• Teotihuacan c. 100 BCE to 550 CE, Mesoamerica and Caribbean
• Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE, Southeast Asia

Questions