Ancient Middle East: Cradle of Civilization

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The Byzantine Emperor Welcoming Roussillon and Martel, 1468-1470. Artist: Loyset Liédet

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Byzantine Empire

Byzantium The term “Byzantine” derives from Byzantium, an ancient Greek colony founded by a man named Byzas. Located on the European side of the Bosporus (the strait linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean), the site of Byzantium was ideally located to serve as a transit and trade point between Europe and Asia. In A.D. […]

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is a region of southwest Asia in the Tigris and Euphrates river system that benefitted from the area’s climate and geography to host the beginnings of human civilization.

Silk Road

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., the Silk Road routes remained in use until A.D. 1453, when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them.

Persian Empire

The Persian Empire is the name given to a series of dynasties centered in modern-day Iran that spanned several centuries—from the sixth century B.C. to the 20th century A.D. The first Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 B.C., became one of the largest empires in history

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A close-up of the text of the Code of Hammurabi.

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How the Code of Hammurabi Influenced Modern Legal Systems

The collection of laws and regulations carved into stone thousands of years ago carries principles and ideas that are still applied today.

Explore 10 Biblical Sites: Photos

These tantalizing archaeological finds may—or may not—offer material evidence of ancient locations, characters and stories written about in the Bible.