History by century · The 1500s BCE
The 16th century BCE
In the 1500s BCE, 63 recorded states existed somewhere in the world. 22 were founded and 7 came to an end. The great powers of the age included the Hittite Empire, the Assyrian Empire and the Elamite Confederation.
Great powers
Profiles of the 16th century BCE, ranked by their military, territorial, economic and historical weight in the Institute’s analysis and by how strong they were in these hundred years.
Hittite Empire1650 BCE – 1178 BCEScore 5.3/10
Assyrian Empire2025 BCE – 609 BCEScore 6.4/10
Elamite Confederation2700 BCE – 539 BCEScore 4.7/10
Shang dynasty1600 BCE – 1046 BCEScore 4.9/10
Egyptian Empire New Kingdom1550 BCE – 1070 BCEScore 7.3/10
Byblos2600 BCE – 332 BCEScore 4.5/10
Mitanni Empire1590 BCE – 1250 BCEScore 3.7/10
Kingdom of Ugarit1800 BCE – 1185 BCEScore 3.9/10
Dilmun2200 BCE – 538 BCEScore 3.3/10
People
Works and ideas
States founded 22
- Kassite Babylonia 1595 BCE – 1155 BCE
- Mitanni Empire 1590 BCE – 1250 BCE
- Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt 1580 BCE – 1550 BCE
- Egyptian Empire New Kingdom 1550 BCE – 1070 BCE
- Arwad 1500 BCE – 64 BCE
- Arzawa 1500 BCE – 1320 BCE
- Azzi-Hayasa 1500 BCE – 1290 BCE
- Beirut 1500 BCE – 1150 BCE
- Isuwa 1500 BCE – 1200 BCE
- Kadesh 1500 BCE – 1200 BCE
- Kingdom of Arrapha 1500 BCE – 1340 BCE
- Kizzuwatna 1500 BCE – 1350 BCE
- Middle Elamite kingdom 1500 BCE – 1100 BCE
- Mycenaean Kingdom of Laconia 1500 BCE – 1200 BCE
- Niya 1500 BCE – 1340 BCE
- Nuhashshe 1500 BCE – 1300 BCE
- Sidon 1500 BCE – 332 BCE
- Simyra 1500 BCE – 738 BCE
- Tunip 1500 BCE – 1300 BCE
- Tyre 1500 BCE – 332 BCE
- Upi 1500 BCE – 1200 BCE
- Viceroyalty of Kush 1500 BCE – 1070 BCE
States that came to an end 7
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). The 16th century BCE. In The Epoch Institute. https://the-epoch-institute.org/centuries/16th-century-bce
- MLA
- “The 16th century BCE.” The Epoch Institute, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/centuries/16th-century-bce. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “The 16th century BCE.” The Epoch Institute. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/centuries/16th-century-bce.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘The 16th century BCE’, The Epoch Institute. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/centuries/16th-century-bce (Accessed: ).