6th century BC

In the 6th century BC: 52 events across 9 regions, including Cyrus overthrows Astyages: the rise of the Persian Empire, The reforms of Cleisthenes: the foundations of Athenian democracy, The reforms of Solon in Athens.

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Events

Still going on

Processes that began earlier and continued through this period

• Tichitt tradition of the Mauritanian escarpmentsc. 2000 BC – c. 400 BC · Africa
• Lapita cultural complexc. 1600 BC – c. 500 BC · Southeast Asia and Oceania
• Gajiganna culture of the Lake Chad plainsc. 1800 BC – between 500 and 1 BC · Africa
• Chorrera culture of Ecuadorc. 1300 BC – c. 300 BC · Latin America
• Koban culture of the Caucasusc. 1200 BC – c. 350 BC · Eastern Europe
• Nok culturec. 1500 BC – c. 1 BC · Africa
• Meadowood interaction spherec. 1050 BC – c. 450 BC · North America
• Temple centre of Chavín de Huántarbetween 1200 and 900 BC – between 500 and 250 BC · Latin America
• La Venta becomes the leading Olmec centrec. 900 BC – c. 400 BC · Latin America
• Hallstatt culture: the Early Iron Age of Central Europec. 800 BC – c. 450 BC · Western and Central Europe
• Aldy-Bel culture of Tuvabetween 800 and 700 BC – c. 500 BC · Central and Northern Asia
• Chalcatzingo at its height700–500 BC · Latin America
• Tasmola culture of central Kazakhstanc. 800 BC – c. 400 BC · Central and Northern Asia
• Polynesian Plainware phase in Tongac. 750 BC – c. 400 BC · Southeast Asia and Oceania
• Talaiotic culture of the Balearic Islandsbetween 1000 and 850 BC – 123 BC · Western and Central Europe
• Ananyino culture of the Volga and Kamabetween 750 and 700 BC – c. 300 BC · Eastern Europe
• Castro culture of north-western Iberiac. 900 BC – between 100 and 1 BC · Western and Central Europe
• Paracas culture of southern Perubetween 840 and 800 BC – c. 100 BC · Latin America
• Adena burial and mound-building traditionsc. 1000 BC – c. 100 · North America
• Dong Son culture and bronze-drum networksc. 1000 BC – c. 100 · Southeast Asia and Oceania
• Tagar culture of the Minusinsk Basinc. 800 BC – between 200 and 1 BC · Central and Northern Asia
• The Buddha teaches in the Ganges valleybetween 531 and 413 BC – between 486 and 368 BC · South Asia
• Sa Huỳnh culturec. 1000 BC – c. 200 · Southeast Asia and Oceania
• Tchefuncte culture of the Lower Mississippic. 800 BC – c. 1 · North America
• Groswater Palaeo-Eskimo culture of Labrador and Newfoundlandbetween 850 and 800 BC – c. 50 · North America
• The Chupícuaro culture of the Lerma riverbetween 600 and 400 BC – between 200 and 250 · Latin America
• The Urewe tradition: pottery and early iron-working in the Great Lakes regionbetween 800 and 500 BC – between 600 and 800 · Africa

Years of this century in the atlas