BCE900

BCE900 denotes the calendar year 900 Before the Common Era. In the conventional BCE/CE system, it sits in the early part of the Iron Age in parts of Eurasia and falls within the broader chronology of world antiquity. Because regional histories diverged, the political, cultural, and economic landscapes in 900 BCE varied significantly from place to place.

Regional context and politics

In the Near East, power centers in Mesopotamia and the Levant were evolving, with emerging regional polities consolidating authority in some areas while others remained fragmented. Egypt was in the Third Intermediate Period, a time of divided rule and competing dynasties rather than a single centralized monarchy. In Anatolia and the Aegean, communities continued to develop urban centers and maintain long-distance trade networks, even as the political map remained fluid. In China, the Zhou Dynasty persisted, with the late Western Zhou period giving way to shifting feudal authority and evolving administrative practices as regional powers asserted greater influence.

Society, technology, and culture

Across several regions, iron began to spread more widely, influencing agriculture, warfare, and material culture. Writing systems persisted and adapted: cuneiform remained in use in parts of Mesopotamia, hieroglyphic writing persisted in Egypt, and Phoenician-influenced scripts were laying groundwork for alphabetic writing across the eastern Mediterranean.

Archaeological perspective

Our understanding of BCE900 relies on inscriptions, chronicles, and material remains from diverse regions. Dating is cross-checked through cross-cultural correlation and, where available, radiocarbon evidence, but precise synchrony across regions is limited by varying chronologies and local dating practices.