Ancient Near East

Sargon (Akkad)

The city-states of Mesopotamia were finally conquered and unified by the ambitious ruler, Sargon. He created the world's first empire, Akkad. [AKKAD] [Near East] [Art] [Archaeology] [Architecture]...

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Persians and Aryan Origin

Since ancient times, Persians have used the term Aryan as a racial designation in an ethnic sense to describe their lineage and their language, and this tradition has continued into the present day amongst modern Iranians (Encyclopedia Iranica, p. 681, Arya). In fact, the name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and means "Land of the Aryans." Darius the G...

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Griffin's head from column at Persopolis

. May reflect a borrowing a Mesopotamian political symbolism. [AchÃ"mids and Medes] [images] [AchÃ"menid stone carving]...

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Assyrian Archer

This stela depicts an Assyrian archer. The Assyrian Empire was unrivaled in its cruel, ruthless methods of warfare. [ASSYRIA] [Near East] [Art] [Archaeology] [Architecture]...

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Early Persia

Class notes on the Persians, includes their Aryan origins. [AchÃ"mids and Medes]...

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Lion's head from top of a column at Persopolis.

[AchÃ"mids and Medes] [images] [AchÃ"menid stone carving]...

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Hammurabi Stela

A wealthy empire eventually rose to challenge the supremacy of Assyria. This empire was known as Babylonia. Hammurabi, an early ruler of Babylonia, created an important written law code. This stela depicts Hammurabi receiving the law code from Shamash, the sun-god. [BABYLONIA] [Near East] [Art] [Archaeology] [Architecture]...

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Images of the Median and Achæmenid Empire

, Iran Architecture, stone carving and art of the AchÃ"menid Empire.[AchÃ"mids and Medes]...

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Relief of soldiers from Persopolis

with wicker shields. 6th c. B.C. (East Berlin: Pergamum Museum). [AchÃ"mids and Medes] [images] [AchÃ"menid stone carving]...

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A Scene from The "Epic of Gilgamesh" (Ur)

The "Epic of Gilgamesh" is perhaps the oldest known story in the world. It centered on a legendary king from the Sumerian city-state of Uruk. Later Mesopotamian civilizations adopted this myth as their own. It was finally written down on clay tablets like the one above, in the wedge-shaped written language of cuneiform. [THE ROYAL TOMBS OF UR] [N...

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