The 37th century before the common era

The 37th century before the common era was a period of one hundred years beginning around 3700 before the common era and ending around 3601 before the common era. This period corresponds roughly to the later Neolithic and the beginning of the Chalcolithic across much of the Middle East and Europe.

No written historical records exist from this century. Knowledge of the period derives from archaeology and radiocarbon dating. Consequently, the dates given are typically approximate, with margins of error of ten years or more.

Before the kingdoms of Egypt

The Nile Valley contained cultures preceding the unification of Egypt, particularly the Naqada sequence, which occupied the earlier part of this century. Settlements yielded painted pottery, bone tools, and evidence of wealth differentiation within communities. Hieroglyphic writing had not yet appeared; it emerged in later centuries.

Mesopotamia and the Middle East

The land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers saw the growth of large settlements destined to become city-states, of which Uruk was the most prominent. There was increasing use of the potter's wheel, cattle herding, and numerical systems for counting goods. The earliest proto-cuneiform script emerged from such accounting methods, though full writing did not develop until later centuries.

Europe and other regions

In Europe, farming societies continued to expand, establishing permanent settlements and some megalithic structures. In the Alpine region and European river valleys, lakeside villages supported by wooden pilings existed. In eastern and southern Asia, rice and millet farming intensified, allowing population growth.