Ancient Near East c.1500-1300 BCE (Illustration): The Old Hittite Collapse and the Rise of Kassites, Mitanni, and the New Kingdom of Egypt

Illustration

by Simeon Netchev
published on 12 November 2021

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Ancient Near East c.1500-1300 BCE — This map illustrates the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Near East following the destructive campaigns of the Old Hittite Empire (circa 1650–1500 BCE), which triggered widespread upheaval and realigned regional power structures. In the aftermath, new political forces emerged, reshaping diplomacy, trade, and territorial control across the region.

Rising from the chaos were the Middle Babylonian Kingdom of the Kassites (circa 1595–1155 BCE), the Mitanni kingdom of the Hurrians (circa 1500–1300 BCE), the Middle Hittite Kingdom (circa 1500–1400 BCE), and the Kingdom of Elam during the Middle Elamite period (circa 1500–1100 BCE). At the same time, Egypt’s New Kingdom (circa 1550–1077 BCE) extended its influence as far as the southern Levant. This map offers a visual entry point into understanding the complex and shifting political landscape of the mid-second millennium BCE.

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About the Author

Simeon Netchev

Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history teacher, passionate about the human stories that shape the past. He believes every image should tell a story and invite interaction, while every map should lead on a journey — blending imagination with e

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Uploaded by Simeon Netchev, published on 12 November 2021. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.

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Cite This Work

APA Style

Netchev, S. (2021, November 12). Ancient Near East c.1500-1300 BCE. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14807/ancient-near-east-c1500-1300-bce/

Chicago Style

Netchev, Simeon. "Ancient Near East c.1500-1300 BCE." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified November 12, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14807/ancient-near-east-c1500-1300-bce/.

MLA Style

Netchev, Simeon. "Ancient Near East c.1500-1300 BCE." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 12 Nov 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14807/ancient-near-east-c1500-1300-bce/. Web. 25 Apr 2025.