Millennia:	2nd millennium BC
Centuries:	17th century BC - 16th century BC - 15th century BC
Decades:	1580s BC 1570s BC 1560s BC - 1550s BC - 1540s BC 1530s BC 1520s BC
Years:	1559 BC 1558 BC 1557 BC 1556 BC 1555 BC 1554 BC 1553 BC 1552 BC 1551 BC 1550 BC
Categories:	Births - Deaths - State leaders - Sovereign states Establishments - Disestablishments

Events and trends

• The city of Mycenae, located in the northeast Peloponnesus, comes to dominate the rest of Achaea, giving its name to Mycenaean civilization.
• 1557 BC — Estimation: Memphis, capital of Lower Egypt becomes the largest city of the world, taking the lead from Avaris, capital of the Hyksos in Egypt.[1]
• 1556 BC — Cecrops builds or rebuilds Athens following the great flood of Deucalion and the end of the Golden age. He becomes the first of several Kings of Athens whose life account is considered part of Greek mythology.
• c. 1552 — End of Second Intermediate period in Ancient Egypt. Start of New Kingdom. 18th–20th Dynasties.
• c. 1550 BC — Second Intermediate Period ends in Ancient Egypt (other date is 1552 BC).
• c. 1550 BC — New Kingdom starts in Ancient Egypt (other date is 1552 BC).
• c. 1550 BC — Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt starts (other date is 1552 BC).
• 1550 BC — Ahmose I becomes Pharaoh of Egypt (although only de facto ruler of Upper Egypt) according to the Low Chronology.
• 1550 BC — May 14 — Lunar Saros 35 begins.[2]
• c. 1550 BC–1500 BC — Dagger blades with lion hunt, from Shaft Grave IV, Grave Circle A, at Mycenae, Greece, are made. They are now at National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Significant people