Editing 5th millennium BC (section)

===West Asia===
====Mesopotamia====
*[[Ubaid period|Ubaid expansion]] continues into the early 5th millennium, with demographic integration of Ubaid culture by [[Halaf period|Halafians]] alongside invasions by Ubaid polities. One example of violence is [[Tell Arpachiyah]] a key economical hub of pottery manufacture. Another is [[Tepe Gawra]]. Obsidian, cedar, advancement of the potters wheel circa 4500 BC, silver, cattle and copper trade routes for over a millennia are strengthened as a result of these expansions, between Anatolia, Iran, the Caucasus and South Iraq.
Its chronology within the 5th millennium consists of:

- {{anchor|Eridu period}}Ubaid 1, sometimes called Eridu<ref name="KurtAmelie">Kurt, Amélie ''Ancient near East V1 (Routledge History of the Ancient World)'' Routledge (31 Dec 1996) {{ISBN|978-0-415-01353-6}} p. 22</ref> corresponding to the city [[Eridu]], (5400–4700 BC), a phase limited to the extreme south of Iraq, on what was then the shores of the [[Persian Gulf]]. This phase, showing clear connection to the [[Samarra culture]] to the north. These people pioneered the growing of grains in the extreme conditions of aridity.<ref>{{cite book|last=Roux|first= Georges |title=Ancient Iraq|publisher=Penguin|isbn = 9780140208283|date = 1966}}</ref>

- Ubaid 2<ref name="KurtAmelie" /> occurs circa 4800–4500 BC. At that time, [[Hadji Muhammed]] style ceramics was produced. This period also saw the development of extensive canal networks near major settlements. New highly developed irrigation systems, which seems to have developed first at [[Choga Mami]] (4700–4600 BC) and rapidly spread elsewhere.<ref>Wittfogel, Karl (1981) "''[[Oriental Despotism: A Comparative Study of Total Power]]'' (Vintage Books)</ref>

- Ubaid 3: Tell al-Ubaid style ceramics. Traditionally, this ceramic period was dated {{Circa|5300–4700 BC}}. The appearance of these ceramics received different dates depending on the particular sites, which have a wide geographical distribution portraying widespread trade systems and social stratification.

- Ubaid 4: Late Ubaid style ceramics, circa 4700 – 4200 BC. Maritime trade via the Persian Gulf peaks, connecting to Southern Iranian ports and polities. Obsidian trade is most notable with extraction and transportation to industrial style worskhops over a 170&nbsp;km distance, see [[Hamoukar]].Southern expansions continue Southwards to Oman.<ref>Carter, R. (2010). Pottery from H3. In R. Carter & [[Harriet Crawford|H. Crawford]] (Eds.), Maritime interactions in the Arabian Neolithic: The evidence from H3, As-Sabiyah, an Ubaid-related site in Kuwait (pp. 33–65). Leiden: Brill.</ref><ref>Carter, R., & Philip, G. (2010). Deconstructing the Ubaid. In R.A. Carter & G. Philip (Eds.), Beyond the Ubaid: Transformation and integration in the Late Prehistoric societies of the Middle East. (SAOC, 63) (pp. 1–22). Chicago, IL: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. p.2</ref>

Overall, the [[Ubaid period]] experiences sporadic but controlled growth of socially stratified settlements, with communal areas, segregation of classes per quarters and complex social stratification. Increased conflict between democratic councils, large scale chiefdoms, royalties, polities and imperial-like aspirations. Large scale stone masonry for public use, and organised seal estampage of international importance are associated characteristics of the era. P. Amiet sees as a 'proto-royal figure,' i.e., potentially [[Enki]], preceding the 'priest-kings' of the [[4th Millennium BC|4th millennium]].
Of the hundreds of polities and tens of important city states here are a few notable events:

*[[Eridu]] during the Ubaid period the site extended out to an area of about 12 hectares (about 30 acres). Twelve neolithic clay tokens, the precursor to Proto-cuneiform, were found in the Ubaid levels of the site.[7][8] The city was the major power at least in the first half of the 5th millennium. It would go on to decline in sovereignty within the 4th millennium. It is here where the [[Sumerian King List|first Kings of Sumer]] were said to have once dwelt.
*One major polity of the [[Ubaid period]] is [[Tell Brak]] a very large polity with transregional power with city walls, and a Tell Brak expansion beyond the mound to form a lower town. By the late 5th millennium BC, Tell Brak reached the size of c. 55 hectares. The remains of a monumental building alongside other large scale projects erected with two meters thick walls and a basalt threshold reveals a social elite of extreme prowess.
*Another major polity is [[Uruk]] (founded circa 5000 BC), experiences a rapid increase in dominance, establishing itself beyond merely a regional power circa 4500 BC with the Eanna quarter or district first constructed. Uruk in its climb for dominance would go on to construct the Anu Ziggurat circa 4000 BC. It is these centuries of careful development which gave Uruk its legendary dominance later in the [[4th Millennium BC|4th millennium]] during the [[Uruk Period|Uruk Expansion]].
*Some other polities of note are firstly [[Tepe Gawra]] featuring signs of notable conflict during the prior Ubaid expansion. Weapons smithing, copper trade and notable temples built circa 4200 BC are present.
*[[Ur]] experienced repeated flooding alongside the other city states, due to continuous floods of the Euphrates within this era. Ur would later rise to great prominence in the [[First Dynasty of Ur|mid]] to [[Third Dynasty of Ur|late]] [[3rd millennium BC]].
*[[Chogha Mish]] grew into its maximum size of 17 hectares in the Late Susiana period, and was dominant onwards from the [[6th millennium BC|6th millennium]]. However the early half of the 5th millennium, the Chogha Mish main monumental building was destroyed and along with it its power declined. This became known as the 'Burnt Building'. This destruction of Chogha Mish also coincided with the abandonment of some other sites on the eastern part of the Susiana plain. The settlements of the subsequent period shifted more to the west, especially with the founding and rise of the city of [[Susa]].
*The south-western part of Iran after 4400 BC restarts urbanisation, with large scale settlements such as [[Susa]] (founded possibly as early as 4395 cal BC via Ubaid urbanisation and influence). The region around Susa in the southwest of modern Iran, is located right next to lower Mesopotamia, which exercised a powerful influence on Uruk and its neighbours from the 5th millennium. Susa I (4000 – 3700 BC) saw the beginning of monumental architecture on the site, with the construction of a 'High Terrace'. Susa alongside its allies is invaded and destroyed in c. 4200 BC. The city of [[Anshan (Persia)|Anshan]] is founded circa 4000 BC, and alongside Susa begins to separate itself culturally from the West, developing the lands with its newly integrated peoples into a [[Proto-Elamite]] cultural and economic revolution.

====Ulterior Middle East====
In modern Turkey: Strong Anatolian polities counteract the balance of power from the Ubaid polities and dwaining [[Samarra culture|Samarrans]] who were culturally assimilated around 4800 BC. Such polities include [[Mersin]] notably having a standing army circa 4300 BC, and [[Hamoukar]] which was a major production centre in the important Obsidian trade and thus power. 
An intensive copper trade, connecting Europe with the East, is represented in Anatolia by sites at [[Hacilar]], [[Beycesultan]], [[Canhasan]], [[Yumuktepe|Mersin Yumuktepe]], Elazig Tepecik, [[Malatya Degirmentepe]], [[Norşuntepe]], and [[Kadıköy|Istanbul Fikirtepe]].<ref>{{harvnb|Suthan|2009–2014|loc=[http://www.ancientanatolia.com/historical/chalcolithic.htm Chalcolithic age]}}</ref>

[[Black Sea deluge hypothesis|Prior environmental devastation in the previous two millennia]] may account for the lack of [[Neolithic period|Neolithic]] sites in northern Turkey.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ballard |first1=R.D. |last2=Coleman |first2=D. F. |last3=Rosenberg |first3=G.D. |title=Further evidence of abrupt Holocene drowning of the Black Sea shelf |journal=Marine Geology |date=2000 |volume=170 |issue=3–4 |pages=253–261 |doi=10.1016/S0025-3227(00)00108-0 |bibcode=2000MGeol.170..253B |url=https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8XD1B59/download}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hiebert |first1=F.T. |title=Black Sea coastal cultures: Trade and interaction |journal=Expedition |date=2001 |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=11–20 |url=https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/black-sea-coastal-cultures/}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Özdoğan |first1=M. |editor1-last=Benjamin |editor1-first=J. |editor2-last=Bonsall |editor2-first=C. |editor3-last=Pickard |editor3-first=C. |editor4-last=Fischer |editor4-first=A. |title=Submerged Prehistory |date=2011 |publisher=Oxbow |place=Oxford, UK |pages=219–229 |chapter=Submerged sites and drowned topographies along the Anatolian coasts: An overview}}</ref>

In the Levant: [[Ghassulian culture]] thrives, immigrating from the North into the whole of the [[Levant]] circa 4400 BC. With concentrated settlements and elites economically focused on [[copper]] [[metallurgy]] and trade, notably importing from [[Wadi Feynan|Southern]] [[History of Jordan|Jordan's vast and powerful urban polities and Bedouin-like cultures]]. The Ghassulian culture trades and correlates closely with the [[Amratian culture|Amratians]] of Egypt and also seems to have affinities (e.g., the distinctive churns, or "bird vases") with early Minoan culture in Crete.[3][6]
Cypriot affinities are not seen, with Cyprus experiencing newcomers circa 4500 BC who arrived and introduced a new Neolithic era. This [[Sotira, Limassol|Sotira culture]] replaced the void of the collapse of the 6th millennium [[Khirokitia|Neolithic culture]] in Cyprus.

Trade with Levant and external regions on an impressive scale and covering large distances starts to connect Europe with Asia on a more direct scale than before. [[Obsidian]] found in the Chalcolithic levels at [[Gilat]], [[Israel]] have had their origins traced via elemental analysis to three sources in Southern Anatolia: Hotamis Dağ, [[Göllü Dağ]], and as far east as [[Nemrut Dağ]], 500&nbsp;km (310&nbsp;mi) east of the other two sources. This is indicative of a very large trade circle reaching as far as the Northern Fertile Crescent and [[Anatolia]].

In the Caucasus: Settlements of the 5th millennium BC in North Caucasus attest to a material culture that was related to contemporaneous archaeological complexes in the northern and western Black Sea region like the [[Leyla-Tepe culture]] (c. 4300 – 4000BC). These polities were immense economically, and pioneered copper metallurgy and trade. Constant immigration from Ubadians and from Uruk herself did play economic factors as well.

Such cultural elements change and are replaced, suddenly during the latter first half of the [[4th Millennium BC]], and the quality of copper metallurgy declines somewhat, during the [[Kura–Araxes culture]].

On the other hand, the millennia long attested [[Shulaveri–Shomu culture]] showed stronger cultural connections like similar tool kits and use of red ochre, portrays intimate and centuries-old ties with the [[Halaf period|Halafians]].

In Arabia: Continuation of Ubaid economical expansion and culture(since the [[6th millennium BC]], circa 5500 BC) throughout Arabia, with adoption and integration but also contributions to these new political features. [[Ubaid period|Ubaid]] pottery of periods 2 and 3 has been documented at site H3 in [[Kuwait]] and in Dosariyah in eastern [[Saudi Arabia]] which bordered the Persian Gulf, a major trade hub.