Ancient Near East

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Overview map of the ancient Near East
Enlarge
Overview map of the ancient Near East

The terms ancient Near East or ancient Orient encompass the early civilizations predating classical antiquity in the region roughly corresponding to that described by the modern term Middle East (Egypt, Iraq, Turkey), during the time roughly spanning the Bronze Age from the rise of Sumer and Gerzeh in the 4th millennium BCE to the expansion of the Persian Empire in the 6th century BCE. As such, it is a term widely employed in the fields of Near Eastern archaeology, ancient History and Egyptology.

The ancient Near East is generally understood as encompassing Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Syria), Persia (Iran), Egypt, the Levant (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestinian Authority), and Anatolia (Turkey). Some users of the term would extend its application into the Caucasus region, into modern Afghanistan (see Bactria, Indus Valley Civilization), Minoan and Mycenaean Greece and other peripheral areas.

Still, others would exclude Egypt from the ancient Near East as a geographically and culturally distinct area. However, because of Egypt's intimate involvement with the region; especially from the 2nd millennium BCE, this exclusion is rare.

Contents

[edit] 5th millennium BCE

[edit] 4th millennium BCE

[edit] 3rd millennium BCE

[edit] 2nd millennium BCE

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). Lighter areas show direct control, darker areas represent spheres of influence. The extent of the Achaean/Mycenaean civilization is shown in orange.
Enlarge
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). Lighter areas show direct control, darker areas represent spheres of influence. The extent of the Achaean/Mycenaean civilization is shown in orange.

[edit] List of periods

Stone age
(2,000,000 BP - 3300 BCE)		 Paleolithic
(2,000,000 BP - 8300 BCE)		 Lower Paleolithic 2,000,000 BP - 300,000 BP
Middle Paleolithic 300,000 BP - 30,000 BP
Upper Paleolithic 30,000 BP - 12,000 BP
Epipaleolithic 12,000 BP - 8300 BCE
Neolithic
(8300 BCE - 4500 BCE)		 Pre-pottery Neolithic 8300 BCE - 5500 BCE
Pottery Neolithic 5500 BCE - 4500 BCE
Chalcolithic
(4500 BCE - 3300 BCE)		 Early Chalcolithic 4500 BCE - 4000 BCE
Late Chalcolithic (Ghassulian) 4000 BCE - 3300 BCE
Bronze age
(3300 BCE - 1200 BCE)		 Early bronze age
(3300 BCE - 2000 BCE)		 Early bronze age I 3300 BCE - 3000 BCE
Early bronze age II 3000 BCE - 2700 BCE
Early bronze age III 2700 BCE - 2200 BCE
Early bronze age IV 2200 BCE - 2000 BCE
Middle bronze age
(2000 BCE - 1550 BCE)		 Middle bronze age I 2000 BCE - 1750 BCE
Middle bronze age II 1750 BCE - 1650 BCE
Middle bronze age III 1650 BCE - 1550 BCE
Late bronze age
(1550 BCE - 1200 BCE)		 Late bronze age I 1550 BCE - 1400 BCE
Late bronze age II A 1400 BCE - 1300 BCE
Late bronze age II B 1300 BCE - 1200 BCE
Iron age
(1200 BCE - 586 BCE)		 Iron age I
(1200 BCE - 1000 BCE)		 Iron age I A 1200 BCE - 1150 BCE
Iron age I B 1150 BCE - 1000 BCE
Iron age II
(1000 BCE - 586 BCE)		 Iron age II A 1000 BCE - 900 BCE
Iron age II B 900 BCE - 700 BCE
Iron age II C 700 BCE - 586 BCE

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Literature

  • 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
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