A canine jaw, discovered in a cave in Mesopotamia, is the earliest evidence of the domestication of dogs

Sheep are the first farm animals of which evidence of domestication survives, from a settlement in northern Iraq

Barley is cultivated in the Middle East

In Mesopotamia, and on the grass steppes of southern Russia, oxen are used to pull heavy loads on sledges

A simple hand-held plough is in use in Egypt and Mesopotamia, at least 1000 years before a heavier version is pulled by oxen

Beer is brewed in Mesopotamia, where barley is an indigenous crop

Sumer develops as the first centre of Mesopotamian civilization

Writing is developed, at Sumer, as cuneiform script on clay tablets

The invention of writing marks the transition, in academic terms, from prehistory to history

The lever is in use in both Mesopotamia and Egypt

Potters in Mesopotamia turn their pots on wheels

The ass, until now roaming wild from northeast Africa to Mesopotamia, is domesticated in Egypt

The earliest known currency, consisting of gold bars, is in use in Egypt and Mespotamia

Objects are cast in bronze, at Ur in Mesopotamia - introducing what is later called the Bronze Age

The harp and the lyre are in use as musical instruments in Mesopotamia

The Sumerians, in Mesopotamia, write multiplication tables on clay tablets

The treasures found in the royal cemetery at Ur include a depiction of soldiers in copper helmets, armed with battleaxes

Some ninety royal servants, including soldiers, grooms and female musicians, are buried alive in the tomb of a royal couple at Ur

Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation story, spreads in oral form

The ruling family of Ur plays a board game which appears to be the same as modern backgammon

The rich trading city of Mari, on the Euphrates, is an important centre in northern Mesopotamia

Sargon conquers the other Mesopotamian states and establishes a dynasty with a new capital at Akkad, close to modern Baghdad

The god Ashur is worshipped at a shrine on the Tigris known by his name (the origin of the word Assyria)

Babylon is a tiny region, about 50 miles across, when Amorites establish there the first Babylonian dynasty

Abraham leaves Ur and moves with his tribe and flocks towards Canaan