Overview map of the ancient Near East

The Ancient Near East refers to early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Syria), Persia (modern Iran), Anatolia (modern Turkey), the Levant (modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan), and Ancient Egypt, from the rise of Sumer in the 4th millennium BCE until the region's conquest by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE, or covering both the Bronze Age and the Iron Age in the region. A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. As such, it is a term widely employed in the fields of Near Eastern archaeology, ancient history and Egyptology. Near Eastern Archaeology (sometimes known as Middle Eastern archaeology) is a regional branch of the wider global discipline of Archaeology. "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. Egyptology (from Egypt and Greek grc -λογία -logia. علم المصريات مصر شناسی is a major field of Archaeology Some would exclude Egypt from the ancient Near East as a geographically and culturally distinct area. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. However, because of Egypt's intimate involvement with the region, especially from the 2nd millennium BCE, this exclusion is rare. The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age.

The ancient Near East is considered the cradle of civilization. The cradle of civilization is any of the possible locations for the emergence of Civilization. It was the first to practice intensive year-round agriculture; it gave the rest of the world the first writing system, invented the potter's wheel and then the vehicular- and mill wheel, created the first centralized governments, law codes and empires, as well as introducing social stratification, slavery and organized warfare, and it laid the foundation for the fields of astronomy and mathematics. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The history of writing encompasses the various Writing systems that evolved in the Early Bronze Age (late 4th millennium BC) In Pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping of round ceramic wares A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load ( Mass) or performing labour in machines A centralized government is the Form of government in which power is concentrated in a central authority to which Local governments are subject A Code is a type of legislation that purports to exhaustively cover a complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed at the time the code was enacted by a An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that In Sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of Social classes Castes and strata within a Society. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Warfare refers to the conduct of conflict between opponents and usually involves escalation of aggression from the proverbial "war of words" between politicians Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and

Periodization

Ancient Near East periodization is the attempt to categorize or divide time into discrete named blocks era of the Near east. Periodization is the attempt to categorize or divide Time into discrete named blocks The result is a descriptive abstraction that provides a useful handle on Near East periods of time with relatively stable characteristics.

History

Further information: Timeline of Middle Eastern History

Chalcolithic

Early Mesopotamia

The Uruk period (ca. The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos ' Copper stone' period or Copper Age period known as the '''Eneolithic''' ('''Æneolithic''' is a The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of Agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of Agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of Agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. The Tell (mound of Ubaid (عبيد near Ur in southern Iraq has given its name to the Prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc The Ghassulian was an archaeological stage dating to the Middle Chalcolithic Period in southern Israel (c The Uruk period (ca 4000 to 3100 BC existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, Gerzeh, also Girza or Jirzah, was a predynastic Egyptian cemetery (29°27'N 31°12'E located along the west bank of the Nile and today named The Predynastic Period of Egypt (prior to 3100 BC is traditionally the period between the Early Neolithic and the beginning of the Pharaonic monarchy beginning with King The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc The 20th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2000 BC to 1901 BC The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Events The Great God "Krishna" who is worshiped in all forms as a boy lover warrior brother king teacher son husband etc The 30th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 3000 BC to 2901 BC The Protodynastic Period of Egypt (generally dated 3200 BC - 3000 BC) refers to the period of time at the very end of the Predynastic Period. The Archaic or Early Dynastic Period of Egypt immediately follows the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt c The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The 30th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 3000 BC to 2901 BC The 27th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2700 BC to 2601 BC The history of Sumer, taken to include the prehistoric Ubaid and Uruk periods spans the 5th to 3rd millennia BC ending with the downfall of the Third The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The 27th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2700 BC to 2601 BC The 22nd century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2200 BC to 2101 BC The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The 22nd century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2200 BC to 2101 BC The 20th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2000 BC to 1901 BC The First Intermediate Period is the name conventionally given by Egyptologists to that period in Ancient Egyptian history between the end of the Old The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The 20th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2000 BC to 1901 BC The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The 20th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2000 BC to 1901 BC The 18th century BC was the Century which lasted from 1800 BC to 1701 BC The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty The 18th century BC was the Century which lasted from 1800 BC to 1701 BC The Second Intermediate Period marks a period when Ancient Egypt once again fell into disarray between the end of the Middle Kingdom, and the start of the New Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa The Minoan eruption of Thera, also referred to as the Thera eruption or Santorini eruption was a major catastrophic volcanic eruption ( VEI The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa Mitanni ( Hittite cuneiform, also Mittani) or Hanigalbat ( Assyrian Hanigalbat Khanigalbat cuneiform) Ugarit ( Ugaritic: ʼugrt; Hebrew:; Arabic:) (modern Ras Shamra رأس شمرة ("top/head/cape of the wild Fennel The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the The Sea Peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BC who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Events and trends 589 BC — Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt. The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the Troy VII, in the mound at Hisarlik, is an archaeological layer of Troy spanning late Hittite Empire to Neo-Hittite times (ca The Hekla 3 eruption (H-3 circa 1000 BC is considered the most severe eruption of Hekla during the Holocene. The states that are called Neo-Hittite, or more recently Syro-Hittite, were Luwian, Aramaic and Phoenician -speaking political entities of Events and trends 589 BC — Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt. The Third Intermediate Period refers to the time in Ancient Egypt from the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1070 BC to the foundation of the The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 934 BC and ended in 609 BC The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' Urartu ( Assyrian: Urarṭu Urartian: Biainili Ուրարտու was an Iron Age kingdom in Eastern Anatolia ( Transcaucasia) rising In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. Events and trends 589 BC — Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt. The term Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean refers to Babylonia under the rule of the 11th ("Chaldean" dynasty from the revolt of Nabopolassar This timeline tries to compile dates of important historical events that happened in or that lead to the rise of the Middle East The Uruk period (ca 4000 to 3100 BC existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, 4000 to 3100 BCE) existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, following the Ubaid period. Protohistory refers to a period between Prehistory and History, during which a Culture or Civilization has not yet developed Writing The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos ' Copper stone' period or Copper Age period known as the '''Eneolithic''' ('''Æneolithic''' is a The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding The Tell (mound of Ubaid (عبيد near Ur in southern Iraq has given its name to the Prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic ^[1] Named after the Sumerian city of Uruk, this period saw the emergence of urban life in Mesopotamia. Uruk ( URU UNUG, Sumerian: unug Akkadian: uruk) from the Akkadian rendering of the Sumerian Toponym 'unug' is modern It was followed by the Sumerian civilization. Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar ^[2] The late Uruk period (34th to 32nd centuries) saw the gradual emergence of the cuneiform script and corresponds to the Early Bronze Age. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for

Predynastic Egypt

The Predynastic Period of Egypt (prior to 3100 BCE) is traditionally the period between the Early Neolithic and the beginning of the Pharaonic monarchy beginning with King Narmer. The Predynastic Period of Egypt (prior to 3100 BC is traditionally the period between the Early Neolithic and the beginning of the Pharaonic monarchy beginning with King However, the dates of the predynastic period were first defined before widespread archaeological excavation of Egypt had taken place, and recent finds which show the course of predynastic development to have been very gradual have caused scholars to argue about when exactly the predynastic period ended. Thus, the term "protodynastic period," sometimes called "Dynasty 0," has been used by scholars to name the part of the period which might be characterized as predynastic by some and dynastic by others.

Bronze Age

Further information: Short chronology timeline

Early Bronze Age

Sumer

Sumer, located in southern Mesopotamia, is the earliest known civilization in the world. The short chronology is one chronology of the Near Eastern Bronze and Early Iron Age, which fixes the reign of Hammurabi to 1728 BC – 1686 BC and the Sack of The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos The history of the Caucasus region can be divided into the history of the Northern Caucasus (Ciscaucasia historically in the sphere of influence of Scythia The History of Anatolia encompasses the region known as Anatolia ( Turkish Anadolu) known by the Latin name of Asia Minor, considered to be Aegean civilization is a general term for the Bronze Age Civilizations of Greece and the Aegean. The Levant is a geographical term that refers to a large area in Southwest Asia, south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Ancient Mesopotamia was settled and conquered by numerous ancient Civilizations. Elam is the name of an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the The term Indus Valley Tradition is used to refer to the cultures of the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra rivers stretching from the Neolithic Mehrgarh The Bronze Age in Europe succeeds the Neolithic in the late 3rd millennium BC (late Beaker culture) and spans the entire The Bell-Beaker culture (sometimes shortened to Beaker culture, Beaker people, or Beaker folk; Glockenbecherkultur) ca Unetice -- or more properly Únětice culture (German Aunjetitz -- is the name given to an early Bronze Age culture, preceded by the Beaker culture The Urnfield culture (c 1300 BC - 750 BC) was a late Bronze Age culture of central Europe. The Hallstatt culture was the predominant The so called Atlantic Bronze Age is a cultural complex of the approx In Great Britain, the Bronze Age is considered to have been the period from around 2700 to 700 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (also Northern Bronze Age) is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom considered the first proper nation of the Korean people. Arsenical bronze (or arsenical copper) is an Alloy in which Arsenic is added to Copper as opposed to or in addition to other constituent The history of writing encompasses the various Writing systems that evolved in the Early Bronze Age (late 4th millennium BC) The History of literature begins with the History of writing, in Bronze Age Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, although the oldest literary Bronze Age Swords appear from around the 17th century BC, evolving out of the Dagger. The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements It lasted from the first settlement of Eridu in the Ubaid period (late 6th millennium BCE) through the Uruk period (4th millennium BCE) and the Dynastic periods (3rd millennium BCE) until the rise of Babylon in the early 2nd millennium BCE. Eridu (URUNUNKI; Sumerian:eridug Akkadian: ?) from the Sumerian for 'mighty place' is modern Tell Abu Shahrain, Iraq The Tell (mound of Ubaid (عبيد near Ur in southern Iraq has given its name to the Prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic The Uruk period (ca 4000 to 3100 BC existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq

Elam

Ancient Elam lay to the east of Sumer and Akkad, in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province. Elam is the name of an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Khūzestān (خوزستان is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. Īlām, also Elam Kurdish, is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. In the Old Elamite period ca. 3200 BCE , it consisted of kingdoms on the Iranian plateau, centered in Anshan, and from the mid-2nd millennium BCE, it was centered in Susa in the Khuzestan lowlands. The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern Anshan ( Persian: انشان Anšan, modern Tall-i Malyan or Tepe Malyan, Iran) a site on the Iranian plateau The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) Khūzestān (خوزستان is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. The civilization endured up until 539 BCE. The Proto-Elamite civilization existed during the time of ca. The Proto-Elamite period is the time of ca 3200 BC to 2700 BC when Susa, the later capital of the Elamites began to receive influence from the 3200 BCE to 2700 BCE when Susa, the later capital of the Elamites began to receive influence from the cultures of the Iranian plateau. Events c 3150 BC — According to the legend Narmer ( First Dynasty) started to rule in Ancient Egypt. The 27th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2700 BC to 2601 BC Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) Elam is the name of an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. The Iranian Plateau, also known as the Persian plateau is a Geological formation in Southwest Asia, Southern In archaeological terms this corresponds to the late Banesh period. This civilization is recognized as the oldest in Iran and was largely contemporary with its neighbour, Sumerian civilization. Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar The Proto-Elamite script is an Early Bronze Age writing system briefly in use for the ancient Elamite language before the introduction of Elamite Cuneiform. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Elamite is an Extinct language, which was spoken by the ancient Elamites. The Elamite Cuneiform is a script which was used from about 2500 BC to 331 AD and was adapted from Akkadian Cuneiform.

Egypt

The old Kingdom of Egypt was a period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – this was the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley (the others being Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom). The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BCE when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and The Old Kingdom is most commonly regarded as spanning the period of time when Egypt was ruled by the Third Dynasty through to the Sixth Dynasty (2686 – 2134 BCE). Third Dynasty The Third Dynasty of Ancient Egypt is the first dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the title " Old Kingdom " Many Egyptologists also include the Memphite Seventh and Eighth Dynasties in the Old Kingdom as a continuation of the administration centralized at Memphis. This is a partial list of Egyptologists. An Egyptologist is any Archaeologist, Historian, linguist, or Art historian who specializes in The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Tenth and Eleventh (Thebes only Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title First Intermediate Period The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Tenth and Eleventh (Thebes only Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title First Intermediate Period Memphis was the ancient capitol of the first nome of Lower Egypt, and of the Old Kingdom of Egypt from its foundation until around 2200 BC and The Old Kingdom was followed by a period of disunity and relative cultural decline referred to by Egyptologists as the First Intermediate Period. The First Intermediate Period is the name conventionally given by Egyptologists to that period in Ancient Egyptian history between the end of the Old The royal capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom was located at Memphis, where Djoser established his court. Memphis was the ancient capitol of the first nome of Lower Egypt, and of the Old Kingdom of Egypt from its foundation until around 2200 BC and Netjerikhet or Djoser ( Turin King List "Dsr-it" Manetho "Tosarthros" is the best-known Pharaoh of the Third dynasty The Old Kingdom is perhaps best known, however, for the large number of pyramids, which were constructed at this time as pharaonic burial places. A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as "the Age of the Pyramids. "

The Amorites

The Amorites were a nomadic Semitic people who occupied the country west of the Euphrates from the second half of the third millennium BCE. Amorite ( Sumerian MARTU, Akkadian Tidnum or Amurrūm, Egyptian Amar, Hebrew ’emōrî The Semitic languages are a Language family whose living representatives are spoken by more than 467 million people across much of the Middle East, The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age. It represents a period of time in which Imperialism, or the desire to conquer grew to prominence In the earliest Sumerian sources, beginning about 2400 BCE, the land of the Amorites ("the Mar. tu land") is associated with the West, including Syria and Canaan, although their ultimate origin may have been Arabia. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) ^[3]. They ultimately settled in Mesopotamia, ruling Isin, Larsa, and later Babylon

Middle Bronze Age

Map of the ancient Near East during the Amarna period, showing the great powers of the period: Egypt (green), Hatti (yellow), the Kassite kingdom of Babylon (purple), Assyria (grey), and Mittani (red). Isin (modern Ishan al-Bahriyat was a city of lower Mesopotamia, which flourished during the 20th century BC. Larsa (also Larag or Larak, modern Tell as-Senkereh, Iraq, possibly the Biblical Ellasar) was an important city of Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq "Amarna period" redirects here For information on Amarna see Amarna The Eighteenth Dynasty (1550-1292 BC is perhaps the best known of The Kassites were an Ancient Near Eastern tribe who gained control of Babylonia after the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire after ca Lighter areas show direct control, darker areas represent spheres of influence. The extent of the Achaean/Mycenaean civilization is shown in orange.

• Assyria
• Babylonia
• Canaan: Ugarit, Kadesh, Megiddo, Kingdom of Israel
• Ancient Egypt: Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom
• Hittites

Late Bronze Age

The Hurrians lived in northern Mesopotamia and areas to the immediate east and west, beginning approximately 2500 BCE. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. Ugarit ( Ugaritic: ʼugrt; Hebrew:; Arabic:) (modern Ras Shamra رأس شمرة ("top/head/cape of the wild Fennel This article is about Kadesh in Syria see also Kadesh (South of Israel or Kedesh Kadesh (also Qadesh) was an ancient city of Megiddo (מגידו is a hill in modern Israel near the Kibbutz of Megiddo, known for historical geographical and theological reasons The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The Middle Kingdom is the period in the history of Ancient Egypt stretching from the establishment of the Eleventh Dynasty to the end of the Fourteenth Dynasty The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in Ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established The Hurrians (also Khurrites; cuneiform Ḫu-ur-ri 𒄷𒌨𒊑 were a people of the Ancient Near East, who lived in northern Mesopotamia Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding The 25th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2500 BC to 2401 BC They probably originated in the Caucasus and entered from the north, but this is not certain. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Their known homeland was centred in Subartu, the Khabur River valley, and later they established themselves as rulers of small kingdoms throughout northern Mesopotamia and Syria. The land of Subar (Sumerian Su-bir4/Subar/Šubur or Subartu (Akkadian Šubartum/Subartum/ina Šú-ba-ri, Assyrian mât Šubarri) was situated The Khabur River (also Habur Habor Kebar Chebar Chaboras; Aramaic: ܚܒܘܪ, Kurdish: Çemê Xabûr, Turkish: Habur Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The largest and most influential Hurrian nation was the kingdom of Mitanni. Mitanni ( Hittite cuneiform, also Mittani) or Hanigalbat ( Assyrian Hanigalbat Khanigalbat cuneiform) The Hurrians played a substantial part in the History of the Hittites. Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa

Ishuwawas an ancient kingdom in Anatolia, Turkey. Isuwa (transcribed Išuwa and sometimes rendered Ishuwa) was the ancient Hittite name for one of its neighboring Anatolian kingdoms to the east in an area Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The name is first attested in the second millennium BCE, and is also spelled Išuwa. In the classical period the land was a part of Armenia. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Ishuwa was one of the places were agriculture developed very early in the Neolithic. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Urban centres emerged in the upper Euphrates river valley around 3000 BCE. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת The first states may have followed in the third millennium BCE. The name Ishuwa is not known until the literate period of the second millennium BCE. Few literate sources from within Ishuwa have been discovered and the primary source material comes from Hittite texts. To the west of Ishuwa laid the kingdom of the Hittites and this nation was un untrustworthy neighbour. The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established The Hittite king Hattusili I (c. Labarna II was the first king of the Hittite empire to reign from Hattusa (while the earlier kings had been at Neša) taking the throne name of Hattusili 1600 BCE) is reported to have marched his army across the Euphrates river and destroyed the cities there. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת This corresponds well with burnt destruction layers discovered by archaeologists at town sites in Ishuwa of roughly the same date. After the end of the Hittite empire in the early twelfth century BCE a new state emerged in Ishuwa. The city of Malatya became the center of one of the so called Neo-Hittite kingdom. Malatya ( Hittite: Melid; Greek: Μαλάτεια Malateia; Armenian: Մալաթիա Malatia; Kurdish: The states that are called Neo-Hittite, or more recently Syro-Hittite, were Luwian, Aramaic and Phoenician -speaking political entities of The movement of nomadic people may have weakened the kingdom of Malatya before the final Assyrian invasion. The decline of the settlements and culture in Ishuwa from the seventh century BCE until the Roman period was probably caused by this movement of people. The Armenians later settled in the area since they were natives of the Armenian Plateau and related to the earlier inhabitants of Ishuwa. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large

Kizzuwatna is the name of an ancient kingdom of the second millennium BCE. Kizzuwatna (or Kizzuwadna) is the name of an ancient Anatolian kingdom in the Second millennium BC. The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. It was situated in the highlands of southeastern Anatolia, near the Gulf of İskenderun in modern-day Turkey. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Gulf of İskenderun (İskenderun Körfezi formerly the Gulf of Alexandretta, is a gulf or Inlet of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, on the Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches It encircled the Taurus Mountains and the Ceyhan river. For the Taurus Mountains on the moon see Montes Taurus. For Mount Taurus outside Cold Spring New York, see Bull Hill. Pyramos or Pyramus (Πύραμος formerly the Leucosyrus, was one of the great rivers of ancient Asia Minor. The center of the kingdom was the city of Kummanni, situated in the highlands. In a later era, the same region was known as Cilicia. Geography Cilicia extended along the Aegean coast east from Pamphylia, to Mount Amanus ( Gavurdağı Mount) which separated it from Syria

Luwian is an extinct language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family. Luwian (sometimes spelled Luvian) is an extinct language of the Anatolian branch of the The Anatolian languages are a group of extinct Indo-European languages which were spoken in Asia Minor, the best attested of them being the Hittite language List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family Luwian speakers gradually spread through Anatolia and became a contributing factor to the downfall, after circa 1180 BCE, of the Hittite Empire, where it was already widely spoken. Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa Luwian was also the language spoken in the Neo-Hittite states of Syria, such as Melid and Carchemish, as well as in the central Anatolian kingdom of Tabal that flourished around 900 BCE. The states that are called Neo-Hittite, or more recently Syro-Hittite, were Luwian, Aramaic and Phoenician -speaking political entities of Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Melid (modern Arslantepe, near Malatya, Turkey) was a Hittite city at the Tohma River, the ancient name of a tributary Carchemish (called Europus by the Greco-Romans) was an important ancient city of the Mitanni and Hittite empires now on the frontier between Tabal (Bib Tubal, Gk Τιβαρηνοί Tibarenoi, Lat Tibareni, Thobeles in Josephus was a Luwian speaking Neo-Hittite Luwian has been preserved in two forms, named after the writing systems used to represent them: Cuneiform Luwian, and Hieroglyphic Luwian.

Mari was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city, located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Abu Kamal on the western bank of Euphrates river, some 120 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, Syria. Mari (modern Tell Hariri, Syria) was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Sumer ( Sumerian: sux-Latn [[Ki (earth ki]]-[[EN (cuneiform en]]-'''ĝir15''', Akkadian: Šumeru; possibly Biblical Shinar Amorite ( Sumerian MARTU, Akkadian Tidnum or Amurrūm, Egyptian Amar, Hebrew ’emōrî Abu Kamal (أبو كمال is a city in eastern Syria on the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq. The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת Deir ez Zor, also spelled Dayr az-Zawr, Deir al-Zur and other variants (دير الزور Armenian: Տէր Զօր or Der Zor) is a city in Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية It is thought to have been inhabited since the 5th millennium BCE, although it flourished from 2900 BCE until 1759 BCE, when it was sacked by Hammurabi. The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of Agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe The 29th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2900 BC to 2801 BC Hammurabi ( Akkadian from Amorite ˤAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer" from ˤAmmu, "paternal kinsman" and Rāpi

Mitanni was a Hurrian kingdom in northern Mesopotamia from ca. Mitanni ( Hittite cuneiform, also Mittani) or Hanigalbat ( Assyrian Hanigalbat Khanigalbat cuneiform) The Hurrians (also Khurrites; cuneiform Ḫu-ur-ri 𒄷𒌨𒊑 were a people of the Ancient Near East, who lived in northern Mesopotamia Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding 1500 BCE, at the height of its power, during the 14th century BCE, encompassing what is today southeastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq (roughly corresponding to Kurdistan), centered around the capital Washukanni whose precise location has not yet been determined by archaeologists. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. History See also History of the Kurdish people Ancient period See also Hurrians, Guti, Mannaeans, Medes Tell el Fakhariya, or Tell el Fecheriyeh with variants is an ancient site in the Khabur River basin in the Al Hasakah Governorate of northern Syria The Mitanni kingdom is thought to have been a feudal state led by a warrior nobility of Indo-Aryan descent, who invaded the Levant region at some point during the 17th century BCE, their influence apparent in a linguistic superstrate in Mitanni records. Some theonyms proper names and other terminology of the Mitanni exhibit an Indo-Aryan Superstrate, suggesting that an Indo-Aryan The spread to Syria of a distinct pottery type associated with the Kura-Araxes culture has been connected with this movement, although its date is somewhat too early. The Kura-Araxes culture or the Early trans-Caucasian culture, was a civilization that existed from 3400 B ^[4] Yamhad was an ancient Amorite kingdom. Yamhad (also written Yamkhad or Jamhad) was an ancient Amorite kingdom centered at Halab (modern Aleppo, Syria) Amorite ( Sumerian MARTU, Akkadian Tidnum or Amurrūm, Egyptian Amar, Hebrew ’emōrî A substantial Hurrian population also settled in the kingdom, and the Hurrian culture influenced the area. The Hurrians (also Khurrites; cuneiform Ḫu-ur-ri 𒄷𒌨𒊑 were a people of the Ancient Near East, who lived in northern Mesopotamia The kingdom was powerful during the Middle Bronze Age, c. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for 1800-1600 BCE. Its biggest rival was Qatna further south. Qatna, (Arabic "قطنا" modern Tell el-Mishrife, Arabic "المشرفة" Syria, in the Wadi Il-Aswad, a tributary of Yamhad was finally destroyed by the Hittites in the sixteenth century BCE. The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established

The Aramaeans were a Semitic (West Semitic language group), semi-nomadic and pastoralist people who had lived in upper Mesopotamia and Syria. The Aramaeans (also Arameans) ( Aramaic / Syriac: ܐܪܡܝܐ, Ārāmāye' were a Semitic (West Semitic language group In Linguistics and Ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical " Shem " Hebrew שם translated as "name" Arabic: ساميّ Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding Aram is the name of a region mentioned in the Bible located in central Syria, including where the city of Aleppo (aka Halab now stands Aramaeans have never had a unified empire; they were divided into independent kingdoms all across the Near East. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century Yet to these Aramaeans befell the privilege of imposing their language and culture upon the entire Near East and beyond, fostered in part by the mass relocations enacted by successive empires, including the Assyrians and Babylonians. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Scholars even have used the term 'Aramaization' for the Assyro-Babylonian peoples' languages and cultures, that have become Aramaic-speaking. ^[5]

The Sea peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BCE who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political unrest, and attempted to enter or control Egyptian territory during the late 19th dynasty, and especially during Year 8 of Ramesses III of the 20th Dynasty. The Sea Peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BC who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Eighteenth Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. Usimare Ramses III (also written Ramesses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and is considered to be the last great The Eighteenth Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title New Kingdom. ^[6] The Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah explicitly refers to them by the term "the foreign-countries (or 'peoples'^[7]) of the sea" ^[8][9]) in his Great Karnak Inscription. Merneptah (or Merenptah) was the fourth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Located on the wall of the Cachette Court, in the Precinct of Amun-Re of the Karnak temple complex, in modern Luxor, the Great Karnak Inscription ^[10] Although some scholars believe that they "invaded" Cyprus, Hatti and the Levant, this hypothesis is disputed. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the ^[11]

Bronze Age collapse

The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age, as violent, sudden and culturally disruptive, expressed by the collapse of palace economies of the Aegean and Anatolia, which were replaced after a hiatus by the isolated village cultures of the Dark Age period of history of the Ancient Middle East. The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A palace economy or redistribution economy is a system of economic organisation in which a substantial share of the wealth flows into the control of a centralized secular administration Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The Ancient Near East refers to early Civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq The Bronze Age collapse may be seen in the context of a technological history that saw the slow, comparatively continuous spread of iron-working technology in the region, beginning with precocious iron-working in what is now Romania in the 13th and 12th centuries. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania ^[12] The cultural collapse of the Mycenaean kingdoms, the Hittite Empire in Anatolia and Syria, and the Egyptian Empire in Syria and Palestine, bringing the scission of long-distance trade contacts and sudden eclipse of literacy, occurred between 1206 and 1150 BCE. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. In the first phase of this period, almost every city between Troy and Gaza was violently destroyed, and often left unoccupied thereafter (for example, Hattusas, Mycenae, Ugarit). Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. Hattusa (URU Ḫa-at-tu-ša 𒌷𒄩𒀜𒌅𒊭 Unicode cuneiform article to display these cuneiform characters--> "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. Ugarit ( Ugaritic: ʼugrt; Hebrew:; Arabic:) (modern Ras Shamra رأس شمرة ("top/head/cape of the wild Fennel The gradual end of the Dark Age that ensued saw the rise of settled Neo-Hittite Aramaean kingdoms of the mid-10th century BCE, and the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This article is about the phrase "Dark Age(s" as a characterization of the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe The states that are called Neo-Hittite, or more recently Syro-Hittite, were Luwian, Aramaic and Phoenician -speaking political entities of The Aramaeans (also Arameans) ( Aramaic / Syriac: ܐܪܡܝܐ, Ārāmāye' were a Semitic (West Semitic language group The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 934 BC and ended in 609 BC

Iron Age

During the Early Iron Age, Assyria assumed a position as a great regional power, vying with Babylonia and other lesser powers for dominance of the region, though not until the reforms of Tiglath-Pileser III in the 8th century BCE,^[13][14] did it become a powerful and vast empire. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for The Bronze Age collapse is the name given by those historians who see the transition from the The Dark Ages (ca 1150 BC–800 BC refers to Greek history from the presumed Dorian invasion and end of the Mycenaean civilization in the 11th century The History of Anatolia encompasses the region known as Anatolia ( Turkish Anadolu) known by the Latin name of Asia Minor, considered to be The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 934 BC and ended in 609 BC The history of the Caucasus region can be divided into the history of the Northern Caucasus (Ciscaucasia historically in the sphere of influence of Scythia The Third Intermediate Period refers to the time in Ancient Egypt from the death of Pharaoh Ramesses XI in 1070 BC to the foundation of the The Levant is a geographical term that refers to a large area in Southwest Asia, south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of The Iron Age in the Indian subcontinent succeeds the Late Harappan (Cemetery H culture also known as the last phase of the Indus Valley Tradition The Painted Grey Ware culture (PGW is an Iron Age culture of Gangetic plain, lasting from roughly 1100 BC to 350 BC. The Northern Black Polished Ware culture (NBPW/NBP of the South Asia (ca The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Chernogorovka and Novocherkassk cultures (ca 900 to 650 BC are Iron Age Steppe cultures in Ukraine and Russia, centered The Hallstatt culture was the predominant The Villanovan culture was the earliest Iron Age culture of central and northern Italy, abruptly In Britain and Ireland the Iron Age lasted from about the 7th century BC until the Roman conquest and until the 5th century in non- Romanised The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Iron Age in Scandinavia and Northern Europe begins around 500 BC with the Jastorf culture, and is taken to last until ca The Iron Age in Ancient China begins in ca 600 BC and is taken to last until the beginning of Imperial China and the rise of the Qin Dynasty The Warring States Period ( also known as the Era of Warring States covers the period from some time in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The is an era in the history of Japan from about 500 BC to 300 AD. Jin state was an early Iron Age state which occupied some portion of the southern Korean peninsula during the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE bordering the Korean The Nok civilization appeared in Nigeria around 500 BC and mysteriously vanished around 200 AD German Philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term the axial age ( Achsenzeit in the German language original to describe the period Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean The Zhou Dynasty ( POJ: Chiu Tiau 1122 BC to 256 BC was preceded by the Shang Dynasty and followed by the Qin Dynasty in China. The Vedic Period (or Vedic Age) is the period in the History of India during which the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, were being The history of the Alphabet begins in Ancient Egypt, more than a millennium into the History of writing. The history of ferrous metallurgy began far back in Prehistory, most likely with the use of Iron from Meteorites The Smelting of iron in Historiography in Ancient and Byzantine Greece.; Classical Greece Herodotus Hellanicus of Lesbos History The History of Roman Historiography Roman Historiography is indebted to the Greeks, who invented the form Chinese Historiography refers to the study of methods and assumptions made in studying Chinese history. The Historiography of early Islam refers to the study of the early origins of Islam based on a critical analysis evaluation and examination of authentic Primary This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a period of Mesopotamian history which began in 934 BC and ended in 609 BC Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Tiglath-Pileser III (from the Hebraic form of Akkadian: Tukultī-apil-Ešarra, "my trust is in the son of Esharra" was a prominent king In the Middle Assyrian period of the Late Bronze Age, Assyria had been a minor kingdom of northern Mesopotamia (modern-day northern Iraq), competing for dominance with its southern Mesopotamian rival Babylonia. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Beginning with the campaign of Adad-nirari II, it became a great regional power, growing to be a serious threat to 25th dynasty Egypt. Adad-nirari II is generally considered to be the first King of Assyria in the Neo-Assyrian period. The twenty-first twenty-second twenty-third twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth dynasties of Ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title Third Intermediate The Neo-Assyrian Empire succeeded the Middle Assyrian period (14th to 10th century BCE). Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture Some scholars, such as Richard Nelson Frye, regard the Neo-Assyrian Empire to be the first real empire in human history. Richard Nelson Frye (born c 1920 is an American scholar of Iranian and Central Asian Studies, and Aga Khan Professor Emeritus ^[15] During this period, Aramaic was also made an official language of the empire, alongside the Akkadian language. Aramaic is a Semitic language with ^[15]

The states of the Neo-Hittite kingdoms were Luwian, Aramaic and Phoenician-speaking political entities of Iron Age northern Syria and southern Anatolia that arose following the collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1180 BCE and lasted until roughly 700 BCE. The states that are called Neo-Hittite, or more recently Syro-Hittite, were Luwian, Aramaic and Phoenician -speaking political entities of Luwian (sometimes spelled Luvian) is an extinct language of the Anatolian branch of the Aramaic is a Semitic language with Phoenician was a language originally spoken in the coastal region then called Pūt in Ancient Egyptian Canaan in Phoenician, Hebrew, and This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Hittites is the conventional English-language term for an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa The term "Neo-Hittite" is sometimes reserved specifically for the Luwian-speaking principalities like Melid (Malatya) and Karkamish (Carchemish), although in a wider sense the broader cultural term "Syro-Hittite" is now applied to all the entities that arose in south-central Anatolia following the Hittite collapse — such as Tabal and Quwê — as well as those of northern and coastal Syria ^[16]. Malatya ( Hittite: Melid; Greek: Μαλάτεια Malateia; Armenian: Մալաթիա Malatia; Kurdish: Carchemish (called Europus by the Greco-Romans) was an important ancient city of the Mitanni and Hittite empires now on the frontier between Tabal (Bib Tubal, Gk Τιβαρηνοί Tibarenoi, Lat Tibareni, Thobeles in Josephus was a Luwian speaking Neo-Hittite Quwê &ndash also spelled Que, Kue, Qeve, Coa, Kuê and Keveh &ndash was a " Neo-Hittite " Assyrian

Urartu was an ancient kingdom of Armenia and North Mesopotamia^[17] which existed from ca. Urartu ( Assyrian: Urarṭu Urartian: Biainili Ուրարտու was an Iron Age kingdom in Eastern Anatolia ( Transcaucasia) rising A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding 860 BCE, emerging from the Late Bronze Age until 585 BCE. Events and trends 865 BC — Kar Kalmaneser was conquered by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. Events and trends 589 BC — Apries succeeds Psammetichus II as king of Egypt. The Kingdom of Urartu was located in the mountainous plateau between Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Caucasus mountains, later known as the Armenian Highland, and it centered around Lake Van (present-day eastern Turkey). Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range The Armenian Highland (Russian Armyanskoye Nagorye; also known as the Armenian Upland or Armenian Plateau, also referred as Eastern Armenia) Lake Van (Van Gölü Gola Wanê Վանա լիճ Daryacheye Van ("Lake of Van" is the largest Lake Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The name corresponds to the Biblical Ararat. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin

The term Neo-Babylonian Empire refers to Babylonia under the rule of the 11th ("Chaldean") dynasty, from the revolt of Nabopolassar in 626 BCE until the invasion of Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE, notably including the reign of Nebuchadrezzar II. The term Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean refers to Babylonia under the rule of the 11th ("Chaldean" dynasty from the revolt of Nabopolassar Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Nabopolassar ( Akkadian: Nabû-apal-usur) was the first king (ruled 625-605 BC of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Events and trends 628 BC — King Josiah of Judah dies in the Battle of Megiddo against Pharaoh Necho II of Events and trends 539 BC — Babylon is conquered by Cyrus, defeating Nabonidus; noted in such documents as that of Africanus Nebuchadrezzar II, more often called Nebuchadnezzar (c 630-562 BC was a ruler of Babylon in the Chaldean Dynasty, who reigned c Through the centuries of Assyrian domination, Babylonia enjoyed a prominent status, and revolted at the slightest indication that it did not. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture However, the Assyrians always managed to restore Babylonian loyalty, whether through granting of increased privileges, or militarily. That finally changed in 627 BCE with the death of the last strong Assyrian ruler, Ashurbanipal, and Babylonia rebelled under Nabopolassar the Chaldean the following year. Events and trends 628 BC — King Josiah of Judah dies in the Battle of Megiddo against Pharaoh Necho II of Ashurbanipal ( Akkadian: Aššur-bāni-apli, " Ashur has made a son" or "Ashur created an heir" (b Nabopolassar ( Akkadian: Nabû-apal-usur) was the first king (ruled 625-605 BC of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. With help from the Medes, Nineveh was sacked in 612, and the seat of empire was again transferred to Babylonia. The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. Nineveh ( Akkadian: Ninua; Aramaic: ܢܝܢܘܐ Hebrew נינוה Nīnewē; Arabic نينوى Naīnuwa)

The Achaemenid Empire was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Greater Iran, and the second great Iranian empire (after the Medean Empire). The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Greater Iran (in Irān-e Bozorg, or fa ایران‌زمین Irān-zamīn; the Encyclopedia Iranica uses the term The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. At the height of its power, encompassing approximately 7. 5 million square kilometers, the Achaemenid Empire was territorially the largest empire of classical antiquity. Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean It spanned three continents, including territories of modern Afghanistan, parts of Pakistan, Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace, many of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab It is noted in western history as the foe of the Greek city states in the Greco-Persian Wars, for freeing the Israelites from their Babylonian captivity, and for instituting Aramaic as the empire's official language. A polis ( πόλις, pronunciation, in English-- plural poleis ( πόλεις, pronunciation, in English --is a City, a See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. The Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile, is the name typically given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Aramaic is a Semitic language with

Religions

Main article: Religions of the Ancient Near East

Ancient civilizations in the Near East were deeply influenced by their spiritual beliefs, which generally did not distinguish between heaven and Earth. The Religions of the Ancient Near East were mostly Polytheistic, with some early examples of emerging Henotheism ( Atenism, early Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 ^[18] They believed that divine action influenced all mundane matters, and also believed in divination (ability to predict the future). Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining ^[18] Omens were often inscribed in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, as were records of major events. An omen (also called portent or presage) is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the Future, often signifying the advent of change ^[18]

See also

• History of pottery in the Southern Levant

References

Further reading

• William W. Hallo & William Kelly Simpson, The Ancient Near East: A History, Holt Rinehart and Winston Publishers, 1997
• Jack Sasson, The Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, New York, 1995
• Marc Van de Mieroop, History of the Ancient Near East: Ca. 3000-323 B. C. , Blackwell Publishers, 2003

External links

• Ancient Near East.net — an information and content portal for the archaeology, ancient history, and culture of the ancient Near East and Egypt
• Ancient Near East.org — A database of the prehistoric Near East as well as its ancient history up to approximately the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans . . .
• Archaeowiki.org—a wiki for the research and documentation of the ancient Near East and Egypt
• ETANA — website hosted by a consortium of universities in the interests of providing digitized resources and relevant web links
• Resources on Biblical Archaeology
• Ancient Near East Photographs This collection, created by Professor Scott Noegel, documents artifacts and archaeological sites of the ancient Near East; from the University of Washington Libraries Digital Image Collection
• Near East Images A directory of archaeological images of the ancient Near East