The Kingdom of Kush was a powerful state in Nubia, along the Nile in what is now Sudan, which at times rivaled and even ruled Egypt. Its early capital was Napata, and later the center of power moved south to Meroë. In the eighth century BCE Kushite kings such as Piye conquered Egypt and founded its Twenty-fifth Dynasty, with rulers like Taharqa building temples and pyramids, until they were driven out by the Assyrians. The Kushites continued as a kingdom for centuries, developing their own script, the Meroitic, an important iron industry, and a tradition of powerful queens known as kandakes. Kush declined in the fourth century CE, weakened by the rise of Aksum, and the region later turned to Christianity.
Before and after
- from c. 2,205 BCE to 1,600 BCEXia dynasty (traditional dates)
- from c. 2,200 BCE to 1,700 BCEBactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex
- from c. 2,181 BCE to 2,055 BCEFirst Intermediate Period of Egypt
- c. 2,181 BCERise of Seventh Dynasty of Egypt
- from c. 2,180 BCE to 350 CEKingdom of Kush
- from c. 2,160 BCE to 2,050 BCENinth Dynasty of Egypt
- from c. 2,150 BCE to 1,991 BCEEleventh Dynasty of Egypt
- 22nd century BCEConstruction of Ziggurat of Ur
- c. 2,100s BCEEpic of Gilgamesh
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- c. 1,274 BCEConstruction of Abu Simbel
- from 8th century BCE to 3rd centuryClassical antiquity
- from 351 BCE to 1494Construction of Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- from 323 BCE to 30 BCEHellenistic period
- 248 BCEConstruction of Terracotta Army
- from 375 CE to 568 CEMigration Period
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 22nd century BCE.