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Ancient Mesopotamia

50,000BC 10,000BC 3,000BC 500AD
 
                   
Uruk period
Sumer
Akkadian Empire
Third Dynasty of Ur
First Assyrian Empire
Isin-Larsa period
First Empire of Babylon
Mitanni
Kassite Dynasty
Middle Assyrian Period
Isin II Dynasty
Babylonia
Neo-Assyrian Empire
Neo-Babylonian Empire
Achaemenid Empire
Alexandrian Empire
Seleucid Dynasty
Roman Empire
Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire
 
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A_0_11 A_1_11 A_2_11 A_3_11 A_4_11 A_5_11 A_6_11 A_7_11 A_8_11 A_9_11 A_10_11
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Zagros Mountains
Euphrates
Tigris
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A_0_6 A_1_6 A_2_6 A_3_6 A_4_6 A_5_6 A_6_6 A_7_6 A_8_6 A_9_6 A_10_6
Zagros Mountains
Euphrates
Tigris
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A_0_10 A_1_10 A_2_10 A_3_10 A_4_10 A_5_10 A_6_10 A_7_10 A_8_10 A_9_10 A_10_10
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A_0_14 A_1_14 A_2_14 A_3_14 A_4_14 A_5_14 A_6_14 A_7_14 A_8_14 A_9_14 A_10_14
Zagros Mountains
Euphrates
Tigris
A_1_0 A_2_0 A_3_0 A_4_0 A_5_0 A_6_0 A_7_0 A_8_0 A_9_0 A_10_0
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Zagros Mountains
Euphrates
Tigris
 
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
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Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur
Ur

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 Uruk period

Start: 4000 BC
End: 2900 BC
Type: Culture
Capital: Uruk
Script: cuneiform

 Sumer

Start: 2900 BC
End: 2124 BC
Type: Culture
Language: Sumerian
Script: Sumerian Cuneiform
Religion: Sumerian
Reference: Short Chronology

 Akkadian Empire

Start: 2270 BC
End: 2083 BC
Type: Dynasty
Language: Akkadian Semitic
Script: Akkadian Cuneiform
Religion: Akkadian Ishtar
Reference: SumerianKing List, Short Chronology

 Third Dynasty of Ur

Start: 2055 BC
End: 1940 BC
Type: Dynasty
Language: Sumerian
Script: Sumerian Cuneiform
Religion: Sumerian
Reference: SumerianKing List (Short Chronology)
Notes: Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumerian), Enmerkar and the L...

 First Assyrian Empire

Start: 1975 BC
End: 1781 BC
Type: Dynasty
Language: Sumerian Akkadian
Religion: Ashur,Adad,Ishtar
Reference: Assyrian King List
Notes: Middle Bronze Age MBIIA

 Isin-Larsa period

Start: 1961 BC
End: 1699 BC
Type: Dynasty

 First Empire of Babylon

Start: 1728 BC
End: 1531 BC
Type: Dynasty
Note: Amorite
Language: Amorite (Semitic)
Script: Akkadian Cuneiform
Religion: Semitic
Reference: Short Chronology
Notes: Ancestors of Hammurabi are not part of the First Empire, as Hammurabi defeated other cities such as Larsa and created The First Empire. His ancestors are associated to this box and need to be relocated.

 Mitanni

Start: 1531 BC
End: 1400 BC
Type: Dynasty
Language: Hurrian (Indo-European)
Script: Cuneiform

 Kassite Dynasty

Start: 1531 BC
End: 1155 BC
Type: Dynasty
Language: Isolate/Akkadian

 Middle Assyrian Period

Start: 1392 BC
End: 912 BC
Type: Dynasty
Language: Akkadian
Notes: Epic of Gilgamesh (Babylonian/Akkadian)

 Isin II Dynasty

Start: 1157 BC
End: 1026 BC
Type: Dynasty
Religion: Marduk

 Babylonia

Start: 1025 BC
End: 855 BC
Type: Dynasty
Religion: Marduk

 Neo-Assyrian Empire

Start: 911 BC
End: 609 BC
Type: Dynasty
Note: Monarchy
Capital: Assur
Language: Akkadian / Aramaic
Script: Sumerian-Akkadian Cuneiform / Aramaic Alphabet
Religion: Ahurism (Henotheist)
Industry: Iron Age
Notes: Great Library of Ashurbanipal - copies of Epic of Gilgamesh made from Sumerian versions

 Neo-Babylonian Empire

Start: 626 BC
End: 539 BC
Type: Dynasty
Note: Chaldean
Language: Akkadian, Aramaic
Religion: Babylonian

 Achaemenid Empire

Start: 559 BC
End: 330 BC
Type: Dynasty
Capital: Babylon
Language: Persian, Aramaic, Akkadian, Median, Elamite
Religion: Zoroastrianism, Babylonian

 Alexandrian Empire

Start: 359 BC
End: 323 BC
Type: Dynasty
Note: Argead Dynasty
Religion: Olympian

 Seleucid Dynasty

Start: 312 BC
End: 63 BC
Type: Dynasty
Note: Diadochi
Language: Greek, Old Persian, Aramaic
Religion: Olympianism

 Roman Empire

Start: 27 BC
End: 395 AD
Type: Empire
Language: Latin
Script: Latin
Religion: Olympian, Christianity

 Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire

Start: 306 AD
End: 518 AD
Type: Empire
Note: Byzantine
Religion: Christianity
 
Carved Jar ⌕
   
NoteEgg shaped stone jar with flat base; carved with two lions attacking bulls, with a scale pattern in 3 rows indicating the ground below; the neck is lost; two holes drilled opposite one another in the shoulder suggest that the jar may have been suspended.Rim and neck broken off.(BM)Late Uruk
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Granite
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference:  128886
[1 of 0]
Globular Clay Accountancy Envelope ⌕
   
NoteGlobular Accountancy clay envelope found with a cluster of accounting tokens. Example of Symbolic Technology. From the Tell of the Acropolis in Susa. Atlas 17360
Year
Category: Tool
Location:  Susa
Material:  Clay
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference:  Public Domain
[2 of 0]
The mask of Warka ⌕
   
NoteThe mask of Warka, from Warka (ancient Uruk), Iraq. Jemdet Nasr period The Iraq Museum, Baghdad. Image Cropped.
Year3000 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Uruk
Material: 
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution:  Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg)
Image Note: 
Reference:  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
[3 of 0]
Cylinder seal ⌕
   
NoteThe king-priest and his acolyte feeding the sacred herd(wiki)
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Limestone
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[4 of 0]
Limestone statuette of bearded man ⌕
   
NoteLimestone statuette of bearded man (possibly priest-king), Ancient Near East Gallery, Louvre.
Year3300 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference:  Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
[5 of 0]
Proto Cuneiform Tablet ⌕
   
NoteProto Cuneiform Tablet from Uruk III. Department of Oriental antiquities, Richelieu. Image cropped.
Year
Category: Writing
Location: 
Material:  Clay
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference:  Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
[6 of 0]
 
Stone mace head ⌕
   
NoteSymbolic weapon deposited in a temple on behalf of a king(BM).From Girsu, Early Dynastic III, Telloh
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Stone
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference:  23287
[1 of 0]
Statue of Ebih-Il ⌕
   
NoteStatue of Ebih-Il, superintendent of Mari
Year2400 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Mari
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[2 of 0]
Female statue ⌕
   
NoteGypsum statue of woman; carved; eyes were originally inlaid; stands with clasped hands; wears mantle over left shoulder; deep kaunakes fringe at bottom; hair bound with fillet with broad mass each side of face; gathered into braid at the back.
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Gypsum
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference:  116666
[3 of 0]
Figure of male worshiper ⌕
   
NoteFrom Eshnunna
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  CC0 1.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  New York Met
Image Note: 
Reference:  40.156
[4 of 0]
Seated figure of Prince Gudea ⌕
   
NoteGudea, Prince of Lagash. Made of Diorite, 46 cm; W. 33 cm; D. 22.50 cm
Year2400 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Lagash
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[5 of 0]
male head ⌕
   
NoteAlabaster sculpture of bearded male head
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Mari
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[6 of 0]
Male head ⌕
   
NoteGypsum statue of a male figure; only the head is preserved; carved with deeply recessed eye sockets and eyebrows, all originally inlaid, and a shallow recessed area corresponding to the beard which was originally overlaid; the eye sockets still contain extensive traces of bitumen.(BM). Abu Habba (Sippar)
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Sippar
Material:  Gypsum, Bitumen
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference:  91877
[7 of 0]
 
Bronze head of a ruler ⌕
   
Note
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Akkad
Material:  Bronze
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  CC0 1.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  New York Met
Image Note: 
Reference:  47.100.80
[1 of 0]
Mace head ⌕
   
NoteMace head; carved fromf pink marble; perforated, polished and incised with votive inscription of Shar-kali-sharri to Shamash at Sippar.(BM) From Abu Habba
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Marble
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference: 
[2 of 0]
Green marble mace head ⌕
   
NoteCarved, perforated and polished surfaces; cavity for haft and bevelled edges; elongated ellipse shape; inscribed.(BM)
Year
Category: Tool
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cloned
Reference: 
[3 of 0]
Bust of Sargon of Akkad ⌕
   
NoteThis bust might depict Sargons grandson Naram-Sin (wikipedia). Iraqi Museum, Baghdad
Year2270 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Nineveh
Material:  Bronze
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[4 of 0]
 
Great Ziggurat of Ur ⌕
   
NoteReconstruction of Ur-Nammus ziggurat, based on the 1939 reconstruction by Woolley (vol. V, fig. 1.4)(wikipedia)
Year2030 BC
Category: Architecture
Location:  Ur
Material: 
Collection:  University of Chicago Oriental Institute, USA
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[1 of 0]
Cuneiform tablet ⌕
   
NoteThe text describes the construction of a temple by Shulgi, a king of the Third Dynasty of Ur. The white infilling in the signs is modern.(BM) Temple of Dimtabba, Ur
Year
Category: Writing
Location:  Ur
Material:  Steatite
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note: 
Reference:  118560
[2 of 0]
Plan of terrain ⌕
   
Note
Year
Category: Writing
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[3 of 0]
Crescent Moon Weight ⌕
   
NoteWeight of ½ mina dedicated by King Shulgi and bearing the emblem of the crescent moon: it was used in the temple of the Moon-God at Ur. Ur III period.
Year
Category: Tool
Location: 
Material: 
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[4 of 0]
 
Ceramic tower with figure and tw ⌕
   
NoteCeramic tower with figure and two lions
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  CC0 1.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  New York Met
Image Note: 
Reference:  68.155
[1 of 0]
 
Copper foundation figure ⌕
   
Note
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Larsa
Material: 
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[1 of 0]
Cuneiform cylinder ⌕
   
NoteInscripted clay, Sumerian script, cuneiform
Year1950 BC
Category: Writing
Location: 
Material: 
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[2 of 0]
 
Hammurabai stele ⌕
   
Note
Year
Category: Writing
Location:  Ur
Material: 
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference:  118551
[1 of 0]
Frog weight ⌕
   
NoteDiorite or andesite weight weighing 10 minas
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  CC0 1.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  New York Met
Image Note: 
Reference:  1988.301
[2 of 0]
 
 
Stele of Meli Shipak II ⌕
   
NoteMelišipak kudurru-Land grant to Marduk-apal-iddina(wikipedia)
Year1186 BC
Category: Writing
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[1 of 0]
Kassite Kuddurru ⌕
   
NoteKuddurru (Boundary stone) found near Baghdad. Held in The Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Year1531 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[2 of 0]
 
Tikulti Ninurta Mace Head ⌕
   
NoteMace with the name of Tukulti-Ninurta
Year1243 BC
Category: Tool
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[1 of 0]
 
 
 
Gypsum mace head ⌕
   
NoteWith cuneiform script. Found at Kidmuri
Year
Category: Tool
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference: 
[1 of 0]
Carved Head ⌕
   
NoteIvory head of a woman: with long hair and wearing a necklace with four rows of beads. She wears a headband or diadem, knotted at the back, consisting of alternating flowers and discs linked together. (BM) Nimrud
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Ivory
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference:  118234
[2 of 0]
Stele of Ashurbanipal ⌕
   
NoteThe king carrying a basket on his head
Year660 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Babylon
Material: 
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[3 of 0]
Nimrud Sphynx ⌕
   
Note
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  CC0 1.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  New York Met
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[4 of 0]
Barrel cylinder ⌕
   
NoteFrom Library of Ashurbanipal. Sargon II. Akkadian cuneiform acript. Found: Khorsabad
Year
Category: Writing
Location: 
Material:  Clay
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference:  22505
[5 of 0]
Human-headed winged bull ⌕
   
NoteLamassu. Relief from the m wall, k door, of king Sargon IIs palace at Dur Sharrukin in Assyria (now Khorsabad in Iraq)(wikipedia)
Year716 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The Louvre
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[6 of 0]
 
Lion head ⌕
   
NoteFrom Hasanlu
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[1 of 0]
Nabonidus Cylinder ⌕
   
NoteTerracotta cylinder by Nabonidus concerning repairs on the temple of Sîn (wikipedia)
Year556 BC
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection:  The British Museum
Licence:  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  British Museum
Image Note:  background cropped
Reference: 
[2 of 0]
Etemenanki Ziggurat ⌕
   
NoteThe Babylonian ziggurat (aka tower of Babel) re-built by Nebuchadnezzar II. Temple to the God Marduk.
Year600 BC
Category: Architecture
Location:  Babylon
Material: 
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[3 of 0]
 
Gold lion-griffin plaque ⌕
   
Note
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location: 
Material:  Gold
Collection:  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
Licence:  CC0 1.0 [🡭]
Attribution:  New York Met
Image Note: 
Reference:  54.3.2
[1 of 0]
Gold ram rhyton ⌕
   
NoteNational Museum of Iran
Year
Category: Sculpture
Location:  Ecbatana
Material:  Gold
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[2 of 0]
Golden drinking vessel ⌕
   
NoteThe Hyrcanian Golden cup. Dated first half of first millennium. Excavated at Kalardasht in Mazandaran.
Year
Category: Ornament
Location: 
Material:  Gold
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[3 of 0]
 
 
 
Temple of Trajan ⌕
   
Noteat Pergamon,Asia Minor. Built by Hadrian
Year
Category: Architecture
Location: 
Material: 
Collection: 
Licence:  [🡭]
Attribution: 
Image Note: 
Reference: 
[1 of 0]