The Ancient Near East: The Cradle of Civilization
The Ancient Near East is widely recognized as the birthplace of many foundational aspects of human civilization, including writing, urbanization, science, and metalworking. Here, societies transitioned from small, scattered communities of hunter-gatherers and farmers into the world’s first cities, shaping the trajectory of human history.
The term ‘Ancient Near East’ encompasses a vast geographical region and an extensive historical period. Spanning nearly 5 million square kilometres and over 10 millennia, the area was home to a diverse array of peoples and cultures. Its ecological variety – including fertile alluvial plains, arid deserts, coastal regions, and towering mountain ranges – combined with its ethnic diversity, fostered the development of rich and complex cultures.
The core countries are Iraq and Syria east of the Euphrates (= Mesopotamia), Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria west of the Euphrates (= the Levant or Syro-Palestine), and more peripheral areas such as Turkey (= Anatolia or Asia Minor), Iran, Afghanistan and the Arabian Peninsula. While closely related, the archaeology of Ancient Egypt (Egyptology) is generally considered a distinct discipline.
Our understanding of Ancient Near Eastern civilizations – such as the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians and Hittites – derives from both archaeological discoveries and written sources. The cultural and material developments of the Ancient Near East, with an emphasis on Mesopotamia and its neighbouring regions, are explored in the bachelor and master programme Ancient Near East.
