From ArchWiki

The official build order for Gnome 2.20 can be found at

http://www.gnome.org/start/2.20/notes/en/rninstallation.html

Note: The following official build order is incorrect. There are several more dependencies not included in this list. If you require beagle-enabled nautilus you will need mono and all of the gtk/gnome-sharp dependencies. libelf is also not listed as a dependency for bug-buddy.

libxml2, libxslt, gnome-common, intltool, scrollkeeper, gtk-doc, glib, libIDL, ORBit2, libbonobo, fontconfig, Render, Xrender, cairo, Xft, pango, atk, shared-mime-info, gtk+, gconf, desktop-file-utils, gnome-mime-data, avahi, dbus, hal, gnome-vfs, audiofile, esound, libgnome, libart_lgpl, libglade, libgnomecanvas, libbonoboui, hicolor-icon-theme, icon-naming-utils, gnome-icon-theme, gnome-keyring, libgnomeui, startup-notification, gtk-engines, gnome-themes, gnome-doc-utils, gnome-desktop, libwnck, libgpg-error, libgcrypt, libtasn1, opencdk, gnutls, libsoup, mozilla, evolution-data-server, gnome-python/pygobject, pycairo, gnome-python/pygtk, gnome-menus, gnome-panel, gnome-session, vte, gnome-terminal, libgtop, gail, libxklavier, gstreamer, liboil, gst-plugins-base, gucharmap, system-tools-backends, gnome-applets, metacity, libgsf, libcroco, libgnomecups, libgnomeprint, libgnomeprintui, librsvg, eel, nautilus, control-center, yelp, bug-buddy, gtksourceview, gnome-python/pyorbit, gnome-python/gnome-python, nautilus-cd-burner, gst-plugins-good, libmusicbrainz, iso-codes, totem, gnome-media, gnome-python/gnome-python-desktop, gedit, eog, gconf-editor, gnome-utils, gnome-system-monitor, gnome-netstatus, gcalctool, zenity, at-spi, libgail-gnome, gnome-speech, gnome-mag, gnopernicus, gok, epiphany, gob2, gnome-games, gnome-user-docs, file-roller, gnome-system-tools, gnome-nettool, vino, gnome-volume-manager, gnome-backgrounds, sound-juicer, gtkhtml, evolution, evolution-webcal, evolution-exchange, ekiga, poppler, evince, dasher, gnome-keyring-manager, deskbar-applet, fast-user-switch-applet, gnome-screensaver, pessulus, sabayon.

The official build order for Gnome 2.14 can be found at http://www.gnome.org/start/2.14/notes/en/rninstallation.html

Quoting:

For those who really want to compile the entire desktop by hand, the order to compile the modules in is: libxml2, libxslt, gnome-common, intltool, scrollkeeper, gtk-doc, glib, libIDL, ORBit2, libbonobo, fontconfig, Render, Xrender, cairo, Xft, pango, atk, shared-mime-info, gtk+, gconf, desktop-file-utils, gnome-mime-data, avahi, dbus, hal, gnome-vfs, audiofile, esound, libgnome, libart_lgpl, libglade, libgnomecanvas, libbonoboui, hicolor-icon-theme, icon-naming-utils, gnome-icon-theme, gnome-keyring, libgnomeui, startup-notification, gtk-engines, gnome-themes, gnome-doc-utils, gnome-desktop, libwnck, libgpg-error, libgcrypt, libtasn1, opencdk, gnutls, libsoup, mozilla, evolution-data-server, gnome-python/pygobject, pycairo, gnome-python/pygtk, gnome-menus, gnome-panel, gnome-session, vte, gnome-terminal, libgtop, gail, libxklavier, gstreamer, liboil, gst-plugins-base, gucharmap, system-tools-backends, gnome-applets, metacity, libgsf, libcroco, libgnomecups, libgnomeprint, libgnomeprintui, librsvg, eel, nautilus, control-center, yelp, bug-buddy, gtksourceview, gnome-python/pyorbit, gnome-python/gnome-python, nautilus-cd-burner, gst-plugins-good, libmusicbrainz, iso-codes, totem, gnome-media, gnome-python/gnome-python-desktop, gedit, eog, gconf-editor, gnome-utils, gnome-system-monitor, gnome-netstatus, gcalctool, zenity, at-spi, libgail-gnome, gnome-speech, gnome-mag, gnopernicus, gok, epiphany, gob2, gnome-games, gnome-user-docs, file-roller, gnome-system-tools, gnome-nettool, vino, gnome-volume-manager, gnome-backgrounds, sound-juicer, gtkhtml, evolution, evolution-webcal, evolution-exchange, ekiga, poppler, evince, dasher, gnome-keyring-manager, deskbar-applet, fast-user-switch-applet, gnome-screensaver, pessulus, sabayon.

This build order was used for Gnome Desktop 2.16.1 based on this post: http://www.mail-archive.com/gnome-list@gnome.org/msg01389.html

orbit2
libbonobo
gconf
libglademm
gnome-vfs
libgnome
libgnomecanvasmm
libbonoboui
gnome-keyring
libgnomeui
gnome-themes
gnome-doc-utils
gnome-desktop
evolution-data-server
gnome-menus
gnome-panel
metacity
gail
eel
nautilus
libxklavier
libgnomekdb
control-center
gnome-session
vte
gnome-terminal
gucharmap
gnome-applets
yelp
lib/gnome-python
nautilus-cd-burner
gstreamer0.10
gstreamer0.10-base
totem-plparser
totem
totem-plugin
totem-xine
gnome-media
gtksourceview
bug-buddy
gnome-python-desktop
gedit
eog
gconf-editor
gnome-utils
libgksu
gnome-system-monitor
gcalctool
zenity
at-spi
gnome-speech
gok
/daemons/dhcdbd
/lib/libnl
gnome-backgrounds
gnome-games
gnome-keyring-manager
gnome-mag
gnome-mount
gnome-nettool
network/gnome-bluetooth
gnome-power-manager
gnome-pilot
gnome-pilot-conduits
gnome-screensaver
gtkhtml
libgnomedb
lib/gtk-sharp
gnome-sharp
gnome-vfsmmv gnome-vfs-monikers
gnome-volume-manager
gnomebaker
gnome2-user-docs
libgnomemm
gconfmm
libgnomeuimm
libgtkhtml
daemons/networkmanager
gnome-networkmanager
epiphany
file-roller
vino
epiphany-extensions
network/evolution
evolution-exchange
evolution-webcal
evolution-sharp
office/poppler
evince
dasher
deskbar-applet
fast-user-switch-applet
alacarte
lib/python-pyspi
system/brltty
orca
bluez-gnome
gmime
lib/gsf-sharp
beagle
system/sg3_utils
lib/libipoddevice
lib/ipod-sharp
banshee
gdm
genius
ghex
gksu
network/gnome-bluetooth
mail-notification
nautilus-sendto
gossip
seahorse
service-discovery-applet
gdeskcal

The order is not a must but in this order all dependecies got resolved.