Short Chronology Timeline - Late Bronze Age

Late Bronze Age

Further information: Bronze Age collapse

The Middle Assyrian period (14th to 12th centuries)

Third Babylon Dynasty (Kassite)

The Kassites first appeared during the reign of Samsu-iluna of the First Babylonian Dynasty and after being defeated by Babylon, moved to control the city-state of Mari. Some undetermined amount of time after the fall of Babylon, the Kassites established a new Babylonian dynasty. The Babylonian king list identifies 36 kings reigning 576 years, however, only about 18 names are legible. A few more were identified by inscriptions. There is some confusion in the middle part of the dynasty because of conflicts between the Synchronistic Chronicle and Chronicle P. The later kings are well attested from kudurru steles. Relative dating is from sychronisms with Egypt, Assyria and the Hittites. The dynasty ends with the defeat of Enlil-nadin-ahi by Elam.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Agum II or Agum-Kakrime
Burnaburiash I		Treaty with Puzur-Ashur III of Assyria
Kashtiliash III
Ulamburiash		Conquers the first Sealand dynasty
Agum III
Karaindash		Treaty with Ashur-bel-nisheshu of Assyria
Kadashman-harbe I		Campaign against the Sutû
Kurigalzu I		Founder of Dur-Kurigalzu and contemporary of Thutmose IV
Kadashman-Enlil I	1374–1360 BC	Contemporary of Amenophis III of the Egyptian Amarna letters
Burnaburiash II	1359–1333 BC	Contemporary of Akhenaten and Ashur-uballit I
Kara-hardash	1333 BC	Grandson of Ashur-uballit I of Assyria
Nazi-Bugash or Shuzigash	1333 BC	Usurper “son of a nobody”
Kurigalzu II	1332–1308 BC	Son of Burnaburiash II, Fought Battle of Sugagi with Enlil-nirari of Assyria
Nazi-Maruttash	1307–1282 BC	Contemporary of Adad-nirari I of Assyria
Kadashman-Turgu	1281–1264 BC	Contemporary of Hattusili III of the Hittites
Kadashman-Enlil II	1263–1255 BC	Contemporary of Hattusili III of the Hittites
Kudur-Enlil	1254–1246 BC	Time of Nippur renaissance
Shagarakti-Shuriash	1245–1233 BC	“Non-son of Kudur-Enlil” according to Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria
Kashtiliashu IV	1232–1225 BC	Contemporary of Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria
Enlil-nadin-shumi	1224 BC	Assyria installed vassal king
Kadashman-Harbe II	1223 BC	Assyria installed vassal king
Adad-shuma-iddina	1222–1217 BC	Assyria installed vassal king
Adad-shuma-usur	1216–1187 BC	Contemporary of Ashur-nirari III of Assyria
Meli-Shipak II	1186–1172 BC	Correspondence with Ninurta-apal-Ekur confirming foundation of Near East chronology
Marduk-apla-iddina I	1171–1159 BC
Zababa-shuma-iddin	1158 BC	Defeated by Shutruk-Nahhunte of Elam
Enlil-nadin-ahi	1157–1155 BC	Defeated by Kutir-Nahhunte of Elam

Mitanni

Perhaps because the capital of Mitanni, Washukanni, has not yet been found, there are no available king lists, year lists, or royal inscriptions. Fortunately, a fair amount of diplomatic, Hittite, and Assyrian sources exist to firm up the chronology. Having become powerful under Shaushtatar, Mitanni eventually falls into the traditional trap of dynasties, the contest for succession. Tushratta and Artatama II both claim the kingship and the Hittites and Assyrians take advantage of the situation. After that, Mitanni was no longer a factor in the region.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Kirta	ca. 1500 BC
Parshatatar or Parrattarna		Son of Kirta
Shaushtatar		Contemporary of Idrimi of Alalakh, Sacks Ashur
Artatama I		Treaty with Pharaoh Thutmose IV of Egypt, Contemporary of Pharaoh Amenhotep II of Egypt
Shuttarna II		Daughter marries Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt in his year 10
Artashumara		Son of Shutarna II, brief reign
Tushratta	ca. 1350 BC	Contemporary of Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites and Pharaohs Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV of Egypt, Amarna letters
Artatama II		Treaty with Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites, ruled same time as Tushratta
Shuttarna III		Contemporary of Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites
Shattiwaza		Mitanni becomes vassal of the Hittite Empire
Shattuara I		Mittani becomes vassal of Assyria under Adad-nirari I
Wasashatta		Son of Shattuara I

Assyrian Middle Kingdom

Long a minor player, after the defeat of its neighbor Mitanni by the Hittites, Assyria rises to the ranks of a major power under Ashur-uballit I. The period is marked by conflict with rivals Babylon and the Hittites as well as diplomatic exchanges with Egypt, in the Amarna letters. Note that after the excavation, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, of various Neo-Assyrian documents, such as the Assyrian king list, scholars assumed that the chronological data for earlier Assyrian periods could be taken as accurate history. That view has changed over the years and the early Assyrian chronology is being re-assessed. Since there is yet no consensus, the traditional order and regnal lengths will be followed.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Eriba-Adad I	1380–1353 BC
Ashur-uballit I	1353–1318 BC	Contemporary of Burnaburiash II of Babylon and Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites
Enlil-nirari	1317–1308 BC	Fought Battle of Sugagi with Kurigalzu II of Babylon, Son of Ashur-uballit I
Arik-den-ili	1307–1296 BC
Adad-nirari I	1295–1264 BC	Contemporary of Shattuara I and Wasashatta of Mitanni
Shalmaneser I	1263–1234 BC	Son of Adad-nirari I
Tukulti-Ninurta I	1233–1197 BC	Contemporary of Kashtiliashu IV of Babylon
Ashur-nadin-apli	1196–1194 BC	Son of Tukulti-Ninurta I
Ashur-nirari III	1193–1188 BC	Contemporary of Adad-shuma-usur of Babylon and Son of Ashur-nadin-apli
Enlil-kudurri-usur	1187–1183 BC	Son of Tukulti-Ninurta I
Ninurta-apal-Ekur	1182–1180 BC

Hittite New Kingdom

Beginning under his father, Suppiluliuma I brought the Hittites from obscurity into an empire that lasts for almost 150 years. The Hittite New Kingdom reaches its height after the defeat of Mitanni, an event which ironically leads to the rise of Assyria. The dynasty ends with the destruction of Hattusa by parties undetermined but which may have included the Sea People and the Kaskians.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Tudhaliya III	1360–1344 BC	Son of Tudhaliya II
Suppiluliuma I	1344–1322 BC	Son of Tudhaliya III, Contemporary of Tushratta of Mitanni
Arnuwanda II	1322–1321 BC	Son of Suppiluliuma I
Mursili II	1321–1295 BC	Son of Suppiluliuma I; Mursili's eclipse
Muwatalli II	1295–1272 BC	Son of Mursili II, Battle of Kadesh in year 5 of Ramses II of Egypt,
Mursili III or Urhi-Teshub	1272–1267 BC	Son of Muwatalli II
Hattusili III	1267–1237 BC	Son of Mursili II, Treaty in year 21 of Ramses II of Egypt, Contemporary of Shalmaneser I of Assyria & Kadashman-Turgu of Babylon
Tudhaliya IV	1237–1209 BC	Son of Hattusili III, Battle of Nihriya
Arnuwanda III	1209–1207 BC	Son of Tudhaliya IV
Suppiluliuma II	1207–1178 BC	Son of Tudhaliya IV, Fall of Hattusa

Kings of Ugarit

Further information: Ugarit

A client state of Mitanni and later the Hittites, Ugarit was nonetheless a significant player in the region. While regnal lengths and an absolute chronology for Ugarit are not yet available, the known order of kings and some firm synchronisms make it reasonably placeable in time. The fall of Ugarit has been narrowed down to the range from the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah to the 8th year of Pharaoh Rameses III of Egypt. This is roughly the same time that Hattusa is destroyed.

Ruler	Proposed reign	Notes
Ammittamru I	ca. 1350 BC
Niqmaddu II		Contemporary of Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites
Arhalba
Niqmepa		Treaty with Mursili II of the Hittites, Son of Niqmadu II,
Ammittamru II		Contemporary of Bentisina of Amurru, Son of Niqmepa
Ibiranu
Niqmaddu III
Ammurapi	ca. 1200 BC	Contemporary of Chancellor Bay of Egypt, Ugarit is destroyed