Ancient Near East

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Overview map of the ancient Near East
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, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria), 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), Armenia, 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), 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

Examples of Near Eastern people from a drawing by E. Wallcousins
Examples of Near Eastern people from a drawing by E. Wallcousins

Major regions during ancient times include:

Cultures, peoples and empires of the Ancient Near East, in roughly chronological order.

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.
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.

Bronze Age collapse

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

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.[1] They believed that divine action influenced all mundane matters, and also believed in divination (ability to predict the future).[1] Omens were often inscribed in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, as were records of major events.[1]


  1. ^ a b c Lamberg-Karlovsky, C. C. and Jeremy A. Sabloff (1979). Ancient Civilizations: The Near East and Mesoamerica. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing, p. 4. 

  • 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

  • Ancient Near East.net — an information and content portal for the archaeology, ancient history, and culture of the ancient Near East and Egypt
  • 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
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Near_East"
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