ABSTRACT
The citizens of the Early Iron Age made numerous important cultural contributions to later civilization, such as the alphabet and its spread by the Phoenicians, the transition to the use of iron as a metal, and the domestication of camels for use in long-distance trade. Egyptian culture changed significantly during the centuries of Libyan domination. In the aftermath of the fall of the Kassites, a new dynasty from the city of Isin claimed the titles of king of Babylonia. Unlike Babylon, Assyria managed to keep its royal line intact during the time of turmoil. From the ninth century on, Assyria was the preeminent power in the Near East. The kingdom of Urartu eventually occupied most of the territory of later Armenia, with its heartland in the triangular region bounded by Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. The stone reliefs at Carchemish exemplify the mix of influences that characterizes north Syria in the early Iron Age.
