26th century BC

Millennium:	3rd millennium BC
Centuries:	27th century BC 26th century BC 25th century BC
Decades:	2590s BC 2580s BC 2570s BC 2560s BC 2550s BC 2540s BC 2530s BC 2520s BC 2510s BC 2500s BC
Categories:	Births – Deaths Establishments – Disestablishments

The 26th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2600 BC to 2501 BC.

Events

Picture of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

c. 2900 BC – 2334 BC: Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period continue.
c. 2600 BC: The Harappan civilization rises to become a powerful civilization.
c. 2600 BC: Pre-Palace Period, phase I, in Crete (Mellersh 1970)
c. 2600 BC – 2500 BC: Wild horses still provide hunting feasts in Denmark. (Clutton-Brock)
c. 2600 BC – 1900 BC: Large water tank, possibly a public or ritual bathing area, Mohenjo-Daro, Indus Valley Civilization, Harappan, is made.
c. 2589 BC: Pharaoh Khufu starts to rule (other date is 2601 BC).
c. 2578 BC: Khufu died.
c. 2575 BC: Old Kingdom in Egypt 4th Dynasty Snofru is Pharaoh. (Atlas of Egypt 1989)
c. 2570 BC: Khafra started to rule in Ancient Egypt.
c. 2566 BC: Pharaoh Khufu dies (other date is 2578 BC).
c. 2558 BC: Pharaoh Khafra starts to rule (other date is 2570 BC).
c. 2550 BC: Estimated date of completion of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
c. 2550 BC: Egyptian rulers contact Western Desert oases, such as Dakhla Oasis.
c. 2550 BC: About this time, Mesannepada is king of Ur (followed by his son, A-annepadda) who founds the First dynasty of Ur and overthrows the last king of Uruk, as well as Mesalim of Kish. [Roux 1980]
c. 2550 BC – 2400 BC: Great Lyre with bull's head, from the tomb of King Meskalamdug, Ur (modern Muqaiyir, Iraq, is made. It is now kept at University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia.
c. 2544 BC: Khafra died.
c. 2533 BC: Menkaura started to rule in Ancient Egypt.
c. 2532 BC: Pharaoh Khafra dies (other date is 2544 BC).
c. 2532 BC: Pharaoh Menkaura starts to rule (other date is 2533 BC).
c. 2515 BC: Menkaura died.
c. 2510 BC – 2460 BC: Ti watching a hippopotamus hunt, tomb of Ti, Saqqara, Fifth dynasty of Egypt, is made. Discovered by French archeologist Auguste Mariette in 1865.
c. 2503 BC: Pharaoh Menkaura dies (other date is 2515 BC).
c. 2500 BC: The legendary line of Sanhuangwudi rulers of China is founded by Huang Di.
c. 2500 BC: the construction of the stone circle at Stonehenge begins and continues for the next five hundred years.
c. 2500 BC: "Menkaura and a Queen, perhaps his wife, Queen Khamerernebty II" sculpture, later found at Giza. Fourth Dynasty. It is now in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Cultures

Butmir culture existed in Butmir, near Ilidža, Bosnia and Herzegovina, dating from the Neolithic period. It is characterized by its unique pottery, and is one of the best researched European cultures from 2600-2400 BC

Significant people

c. 2601 BC–2578 BC—reign of Pharaoh Khufu of Egypt's Fourth Dynasty

2599 BC—Huni is Pharaoh. (Atlas of Egypt 1989)
2575 BC—Old Kingdom in Egypt; 4th Dynasty; Sneferu is Pharaoh. (Atlas of Egypt 1989)
2528 BC—Ra'djedef is Pharaoh. (Atlas of Egypt 1989)
2520 BC—Khep-heren (Ra'kha'ef) is Pharaoh. (Atlas of Egypt 1989)

Deaths

—Khufu dies

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

Rock drawings at Rødøy in Norway show the use of skis
Bactrian Camel and Dromedary are domesticated

Decades and years

26th century BC
28th century BC←27th century BC← ↔ →25th century BC→24th century BC

2609–2600 BC	2609 BC	2608 BC	2607 BC	2606 BC	2605 BC	2604 BC	2603 BC	2602 BC	2601 BC	2600 BC
2590s BC	2599 BC	2598 BC	2597 BC	2596 BC	2595 BC	2594 BC	2593 BC	2592 BC	2591 BC	2590 BC
2580s BC	2589 BC	2588 BC	2587 BC	2586 BC	2585 BC	2584 BC	2583 BC	2582 BC	2581 BC	2580 BC
2570s BC	2579 BC	2578 BC	2577 BC	2576 BC	2575 BC	2574 BC	2573 BC	2572 BC	2571 BC	2570 BC
2560s BC	2569 BC	2568 BC	2567 BC	2566 BC	2565 BC	2564 BC	2563 BC	2562 BC	2561 BC	2560 BC
2550s BC	2559 BC	2558 BC	2557 BC	2556 BC	2555 BC	2554 BC	2553 BC	2552 BC	2551 BC	2550 BC
2540s BC	2549 BC	2548 BC	2547 BC	2546 BC	2545 BC	2544 BC	2543 BC	2542 BC	2541 BC	2540 BC
2530s BC	2539 BC	2538 BC	2537 BC	2536 BC	2535 BC	2534 BC	2533 BC	2532 BC	2531 BC	2530 BC
2520s BC	2529 BC	2528 BC	2527 BC	2526 BC	2525 BC	2524 BC	2523 BC	2522 BC	2521 BC	2520 BC
2510s BC	2519 BC	2518 BC	2517 BC	2516 BC	2515 BC	2514 BC	2513 BC	2512 BC	2511 BC	2510 BC
2509–2500 BC	2509 BC	2508 BC	2507 BC	2506 BC	2505 BC	2504 BC	2503 BC	2502 BC	2501 BC	2500 BC
2490s BC	2499 BC	2498 BC	2497 BC	2496 BC	2495 BC	2494 BC	2493 BC	2492 BC	2491 BC	2490 BC

Centuries and millennia

Millennium	Century
BC (BCE)
4th	40th	39th	38th	37th	36th	35th	34th	33rd	32nd	31st
3rd	30th	29th	28th	27th	26th	25th	24th	23rd	22nd	21st
2nd	20th	19th	18th	17th	16th	15th	14th	13th	12th	11th
1st	10th	9th	8th	7th	6th	5th	4th	3rd	2nd	1st
AD (CE)
1st	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
2nd	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th
3rd	21st	22nd	23rd	24th	25th	26th	27th	28th	29th	30th

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