21st century BC

The 21st century BC was a century which lasted from the year 2100 BC to 2001 BC.

Millennium:	3rd millennium BC
Centuries:	22nd century BC 21st century BC 20th century BC
Timelines:	22nd century BC 21st century BC 20th century BC
State leaders:	22nd century BC 21st century BC 20th century BC
Decades:	2090s BC 2080s BC 2070s BC 2060s BC 2050s BC 2040s BC 2030s BC 2020s BC 2010s BC 2000s BC
Categories:	Births – Deaths Establishments – Disestablishments

Events

Ur-Nammu (seated) bestows governorship on Ḫašḫamer, patesi (high priest) of Iškun-Sin (cylinder seal impression, ca. 2100 BC).

Note: all dates from this long ago should be regarded as either approximate or conjectural; there are no absolutely certain dates, and multiple competing reconstructed chronologies, for this time period.

• c. 2100 BC - Sintashta culture emerges; possible date when Proto-Indo-Iranian was spoken.
• c. 2100 BC – c. 2050 BC: Nanna Ziggurat, Ur (modern Muqaiyir, Iraq) was built.
• 2091 BC: Beginning of the Patriarchal Age was traditionally set in this year.
• 2080 BC: Ninth Dynasty wars in Egypt.
• 2080 BC: First Intermediate Period of Egypt ended. Middle Kingdom began in Ancient Egypt.
• 2071 BC: Magh Ithe, first recorded battle in Ireland myths.
• c. 2064 BC – 1986 BC: Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt.
• c. 2055 BC: End of First Intermediate Period of Egypt. Start of Middle Kingdom. (another date is 2040 BC).
• c. 2055 BC: Mentuhotep II from Thebes managed to reunite Ancient Egypt and began to rule (other date is 2040 BC).
• c. 2055 BC – 1985 BC: Funerary Stele of Amenemhat I was made. Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt. Excavated in 1915–1916. It is now kept in Egyptian Museum, Cairo. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
• c. 2050 BC: Eruption of Mt. Mariveles in the Philippines.
• c. 2049 BC: Oak trees for Seahenge felled.
• 2034 BC – 2004 BC: Ur–Amorite wars
• 2025 BC: The Old Assyrian Empire is established. Assur becomes the capital of the kingdom and remains so for almost 270 years.
• c. 2009 BC – 1997 BC: Funerary temple of Mentuhotep III was built. Eleventh Dynasty.
• 2004 BC: Elamite destruction of Ur. Third Dynasty of Ur.
• c. 2000 BC: Aegean Bronze Age ended.

Significant people

Although many human societies were literate in this period, some individual persons mentioned in this article ought to be considered legendary rather than historical.

• Mentuhotep II
• Ur-Nammu, 3rd dynasty of Ur
• Shulgi of Urim

Legendary people

• According to Abrahamic religious tradition, this was the era of the Patriarch Abraham (however, other datings include 19th century BC, and/or 17th century through 15th century BC)
• The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are to said to have ruled China during this time

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

• 2100 BC—Earliest extant law code in Mesopotamia, the Code of Ur-Nammu

Sovereign states

See: List of sovereign states in the 21st century BC.

Decades and years