List of Iron Age states

The Iron Age is the period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron, circa 1200 BC to 600 BC.

The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles. The Iron Age as an archaeological term indicates the condition as to civilization and culture of a people using iron as the material for their cutting tools and weapons.^[1] The Iron Age is the third principal period of the three-age system created by Christian Thomsen (1788–1865) for classifying ancient societies and prehistoric stages of progress.^[2]

Development of states

The development of states—large-scale, populous, politically centralized, and socially stratified polities/societies governed by powerful rulers, marks one of the major milestones in the evolution of human societies. Archaeologists often distinguish between primary (or pristine) states and secondary states. Primary states evolved independently through largely internal developmental processes rather than through the influence of any other pre-existing state. The earliest known primary states appeared in Mesopatamia c. 3700 BC, in Egypt c. 3300 BC, in the Indus Valley c. 2500 BC, India c. 1700 BC, and in China c. 1600 BC. As they interacted with their less developed neighbors through trade, warfare, migration, and more generalized ideological influences, the primary states directly or indirectly fostered the emergence of secondary states in surrounding areas, for example, the Hittites in Anatolia, the Minoan and Mycenaean states of the Aegean, or the Nubian kingdoms in the Sudan. Professor Gil Stein at the University of Chicago Oriental Institute states "The excavations and archaeological surveys of the last few decades have vastly increased both the quantity and quality of what we know about ancient states and urbanism. Archaeologists have broadened the scope of their research beyond the traditional focus on rulers and urban elites. Current research now aims at understanding the role of urban commoners, craft specialists, and village-based farmers in the overall organization of ancient states and societies. Given the immense geographical scope encompassed by the term 'the Ancient World'".^[3] This list's the main types state that existed in Africa, Americas, Central Asia, East Asia, Europe, Eurasian Steppe, South Asia, and West Asia, from the beginning of the Iron Age to the beginning of Classical antiquity a period of 600 years.

Africa

Map of the world early iron age 1000 BC

Americas

Europe

North and West

South and East

Eurasian Steppe and Central Asia

East Asia

South Asia

West Asia

See also

References

External links

• A Chronology of World Political History
• Empires Through Out History
• Ancient Asia Minor-Anatolia
• History Files
• Regnal Chronologies Ancient States
• Livius Ancient History Articles
• World History Maps (Individual) from 1300 BC to 1500 AD