ABSTRACT
Introductory Theestablishmentofarelativeandabsolutechronologyprovidesthe onlysoundbasisforallformsofhistoricalinvestigation.Datesmaybe soullessandmechanical;withouttheframewhichtheygiveitis impossibletounderstandthedevelopmentandinterrelationsofhuman cultures.Untilveryrecentlyabsolutechronologiescouldbeestablished onlyforliteratecultures,andbytrade-relationsfortheirilliterate neighbours.TheextanthistoricalrecordsofGreeceandIsraelwent backintothefirstmilleniumB.c.;behindthatwereseveralcenturies oforaltradition,lovinglypreservedbyancientauthorsofnationalistic outlookbutliabletofactualdistortionandtocontaminationbymyth andritual,andsousableonlywiththegreatestcaution.ThedeciphermentofhieroglyphsandcuneiformbegantoprovidehistoricaldocumentsbacktothethirdmillenniumB.c.;butthecontinualexcavation ofnewdocuments,betterstudyofthetexts,andthedeciphermentof otherNearEasternlanguageshaveentailedseveralratherdrastic revisionsoftheprecisechronologywhichhadbeenworkedout.Atthe presenttimetheliterarychronologyoftheNearEastcanbepushed backinsomecountriestothethirdmillenniumB.c.,andalesscertain framehasbeenbuiltforneighbouringcountries,principallybymeans ofimports.
