The 23rd Century BC

The 23rd century BC is a span of 100 years extending from 2300 BC to 2201 BC. It forms part of the Early Bronze Age in the Near East, North Africa and parts of Asia.

The history of this period rests on a combination of ancient written records, archaeology and carbon dating. The chronologies cited often diverge by as much as a decade, since the royal records of Mesopotamia and Egypt cannot be correlated precisely with the modern calendar.

Mesopotamia

This century is marked by the Akkad Empire, founded by Sargon and ruled by his successors, among them Naram-Sin. The state unified the city-states of Sumer and surrounding territories, employing centralized administration and Akkadian as the language of written record. Toward the end of this century and the beginning of the next, Akkadian power declined, and various factions and kingdoms emerged to contest control of the region.

Egypt

Egypt in this century lay within the Old Kingdom period, notably during the Sixth Dynasty and the reign of Pepi II, who is said to have ruled for an exceptionally long time. The power of the pharaoh weakened as provincial governors (nomarchs) grew stronger, initiating the period known as the First Intermediate Period.

Other regions

The Indus Valley was at its peak of planned urban settlement, with cities such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. China during this period remained in the late Neolithic and the early stages of political centralization prior to written history. Europe was in the Early Bronze Age, with long-distance trade networks in operation.