Ancient Near Eastern Archaeological Periods

Middle Bronze Age2000–1550 BCE
Late Bronze Age1550–1200 BCE
Iron Age1200–586 BCE
Iron IA (or Late Bronze III)1200–1140/1130
Iron IB1140/1130–ca. 980a
Iron IIAca. 980–800
Iron IIBca. 800–732/701b
Iron IIC732/701–586 BCE
Babylonian Period586–539 BCE
Persian Period539–332 BCE

Notes

The end of Iron I is debated in the range of 1000–950 BCE.

Iron IIB ends with the Assyrian conquests of the Northern Kingdom between 732–722 and with Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah in 701 BCE.

Credits

Chart courtesy of Amihai Mazar.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 1.

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Archaeological periodization, based mainly on changes in material culture (primarily pottery) and on certain major historical events, is debated among archaeologists. Some use different terms for certain periods and date the transitions differently. Exact dates can never be precise because material culture does not change in a specific year and changes took place at different times in different regions. In addition, new discoveries and analyses lead scholars to change their dating of the boundaries between periods.

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