DrTenochtitlan says :
I answered this exact question a couple years ago and it was by far my top comment of all time. It's worth a repost.
I work as a professional historian. Just so everyone knows what they're getting into, if you traveled back in time 3000 years you'd arrive at 984 BC. Here's what's going on in the world at that date:
Mesopotamia: You've arrived right at the beginning of the Assyrian period. The Assyrians are brutal, and they have just brought down the Old Babylonain civilization. If you're not on their side, this is a particularly bad place to be.
Egypt: Sadly, you've just missed the height of the New Kingdom. The great pharaohs like Ramses II have recently passed away, and you're now in the middle of the Third Intermediate Period, a time of civil war and invasion. However, you will get to interact with the Nubian Dynasty, a brief period where black African Nubian kings conquered and controlled all of Egypt. This would be a fascinating time to observe.
Greece: Again, not a very good date here. The Minoan/Mycenaean civilizations have just ended following the conclusion of the Trojan War, but you're too early for Classical Greece yet. This is the "Greek Dark Ages", a period where civilization collapsed. Things will pick up again by 800 BC, but you'll have to wait a couple of centuries.
Rome: Rome doesn't exist yet, although you're in the very earliest beginnings of the great Etruscan civilization. Life here wouldn't be too bad.
China: You're in luck... you've hit the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty. This was a time of consolidation and advancement in China, although there's still quite a bit of warfare. China isn't unified yet, but the Zhou Dynasty was relatively advanced and well-run. This would be a good place to hang out for about three centuries.
India: You've missed the Indus River Valley Civilization, but you're too early for the Mauyra Dynasty. If you're into Hinduism though, you've hit the middle and late Vedic era, so you could see some of the most important early developments in that religion first hand.
North America: The Olmecs are in decline and will still be around for a few more years, but the Maya are just beginning the Preclassic Period. Their great empire would be right at the beginning of its development. If you don't mind the heat, this wouldn't be a bad place to be either, minus the bloodletting rituals and human sacrifice.
South America: You're WAY early for the Incas, but Chavin Culture is just about to emerge. It was a lesser known but equally important civilization in the region, and almost as expansive. They had just learned how to work gold and how to domesticate the llama. If you want your chance to dominate a reasonably advanced culture right at its start, this is your chance.
Anyway, these would be the places where most of the action would be going on in 984 BC. Most everywhere else would be either living in simple villages or not at a very advanced level of civilization yet.
src - https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9bnau0/youre_given_immortality_but_as_a_cost_you_are/
I answered this exact question a couple years ago and it was by far my top comment of all time. It's worth a repost.
I work as a professional historian. Just so everyone knows what they're getting into, if you traveled back in time 3000 years you'd arrive at 984 BC. Here's what's going on in the world at that date:
Mesopotamia: You've arrived right at the beginning of the Assyrian period. The Assyrians are brutal, and they have just brought down the Old Babylonain civilization. If you're not on their side, this is a particularly bad place to be.
Egypt: Sadly, you've just missed the height of the New Kingdom. The great pharaohs like Ramses II have recently passed away, and you're now in the middle of the Third Intermediate Period, a time of civil war and invasion. However, you will get to interact with the Nubian Dynasty, a brief period where black African Nubian kings conquered and controlled all of Egypt. This would be a fascinating time to observe.
Greece: Again, not a very good date here. The Minoan/Mycenaean civilizations have just ended following the conclusion of the Trojan War, but you're too early for Classical Greece yet. This is the "Greek Dark Ages", a period where civilization collapsed. Things will pick up again by 800 BC, but you'll have to wait a couple of centuries.
Rome: Rome doesn't exist yet, although you're in the very earliest beginnings of the great Etruscan civilization. Life here wouldn't be too bad.
China: You're in luck... you've hit the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty. This was a time of consolidation and advancement in China, although there's still quite a bit of warfare. China isn't unified yet, but the Zhou Dynasty was relatively advanced and well-run. This would be a good place to hang out for about three centuries.
India: You've missed the Indus River Valley Civilization, but you're too early for the Mauyra Dynasty. If you're into Hinduism though, you've hit the middle and late Vedic era, so you could see some of the most important early developments in that religion first hand.
North America: The Olmecs are in decline and will still be around for a few more years, but the Maya are just beginning the Preclassic Period. Their great empire would be right at the beginning of its development. If you don't mind the heat, this wouldn't be a bad place to be either, minus the bloodletting rituals and human sacrifice.
South America: You're WAY early for the Incas, but Chavin Culture is just about to emerge. It was a lesser known but equally important civilization in the region, and almost as expansive. They had just learned how to work gold and how to domesticate the llama. If you want your chance to dominate a reasonably advanced culture right at its start, this is your chance.
Anyway, these would be the places where most of the action would be going on in 984 BC. Most everywhere else would be either living in simple villages or not at a very advanced level of civilization yet.
src - https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/9bnau0/youre_given_immortality_but_as_a_cost_you_are/