Late Bronze Age Short chronology

the middle assyrian period (14th 12th centuries)

third babylon dynasty (kassite)

the kassites first appeared during reign of samsu-iluna of first babylonian dynasty , after being defeated babylon, moved control city-state of mari. undetermined amount of time after fall of babylon, kassites established new babylonian dynasty. babylonian king list identifies 36 kings reigning 576 years, however, 18 names legible. few more identified inscriptions. there confusion in middle part of dynasty because of conflicts between synchronistic chronicle , chronicle p. later kings attested kudurru steles. relative dating sychronisms egypt, assyria , hittites. dynasty ends defeat of enlil-nadin-ahi elam.

mitanni

perhaps because capital of mitanni, washukanni, has not yet been found, there no available king lists, year lists, or royal inscriptions. fortunately, fair amount of diplomatic, hittite, , assyrian sources exist firm chronology. having become powerful under shaushtatar, mitanni falls traditional trap of dynasties, contest succession. tushratta , artatama ii both claim kingship , hittites , assyrians take advantage of situation. after that, mitanni no longer factor in region.

assyrian middle kingdom

long minor player, after defeat of neighbor mitanni hittites, assyria rises ranks of major power under ashur-uballit i. period marked conflict rivals babylon , hittites diplomatic exchanges egypt, in amarna letters. note after excavation, in late 19th , 20th centuries, of various neo-assyrian documents, such assyrian king list, scholars assumed chronological data earlier assyrian periods taken accurate history. view has changed on years , assyrian chronology being re-assessed. since there yet no consensus, traditional order , regnal lengths followed.

hittite new kingdom

beginning under father, suppiluliuma brought hittites obscurity empire lasts 150 years. hittite new kingdom reaches height after defeat of mitanni, event ironically leads rise of assyria. dynasty ends destruction of hattusa parties undetermined may have included sea people , kaskians.

kings of ugarit

a client state of mitanni , later hittites, ugarit nonetheless significant player in region. while regnal lengths , absolute chronology ugarit not yet available, known order of kings , firm synchronisms make reasonably placeable in time. fall of ugarit has been narrowed down range reign of pharaoh merneptah 8th year of pharaoh rameses iii of egypt. same time hattusa destroyed.