The Bronze Age Collapse and The Story of Phoenicia and Carthage

Our next two episodes cover the period of the collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean region.  The first program will give an insight as to what happened in that period of catastrophe and anarchy which may well be the inspiration of Homer's Iliad stories.  The second program is a podcast telling the story of the Phoenicians and their expansion from the eastern Mediterranean coast  along the North African coast as well as  Cyprus, Sardinia and Southern Spain and to South West Britain.  Whilst they were mostly aggressive traders they established the Carthaginian empire.  One of the interesting stories as to the origin of the term Pyrrhic Victory.

The Bronze Age Collapse - Mediterranean Apocalypse    

The Punic Empires of Phoenicia and Carthage

Further Reading:

Late Bronze Age collapse - Wikipedia    

Phoenicia - Wikipedia

The Assyrian Empire Part 2

 Here are a couple more YouTubes about the Assyrians.  They might be a little easier to watch

Concise History of Ancient Assyria and the Assyrian Empire (Historical Highlights and Great Kings)    

Shamshi-Adad & the Old Assyrian Empire (2000-1750 BC) // Ancient History Documentary

The Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire, was a Mesopotamian kingdom and empire of the ancient Near East who lived in the Levant that existed as a state from perhaps as early as the 25th century BC (in the form of the Assur city-state^]) until its collapse between 612 BC and 609 BC – spanning the periods of the Early to Middle Bronze Age through to the late Iron Age. This vast span of time is divided into the Early Period (2500–2025 BC), Old Assyrian Empire (2025–1378 BC), Middle Assyrian Empire (1392–934 BC) and Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–609 BC). 

The Ancient Assyrian Empire

Further Reading

The Assyrian Empire - Wikipedia

The Assyrian Empire - Ancient History Encyclopedia

The Akkadian and Babylonian Empires

The Akkadian Empire  was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia, after the long-lived civilization of Sumer. It was centered in the city of Akkad and its surrounding region. The empire united Akkadian (Assyrian and Babylonian) and Sumerian speakers under one rule. The Akkadian Empire exercised influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, sending military expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan (modern Bahrain and Oman) in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Akkadian Empire and the Sargonic Dynasty    

The Babylonian Empire - Great Civilizations of History

Further Reading

The Akkadian Empire _ Wikipedia    

Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations - Khan Academy

The Sumerians

The Sumerians were the people of southern Mesopotamia whose civilization flourished between c. 4100-1750 BCE. Their name comes from the region which is frequently – and incorrectly – referred to as a “country”. Sumer was never a cohesive political entity, however, but a region of city-states each with its own king 

Ancient Mesopotamia - The Sumerians

Further Reading

Ancient Mesopotamia - The Sumerians   -  Ancient History Encyclopedia

Sumer - Wikipedia

IRAQ: The Cradle of Civilization

After thousands of years as a hunter/gatherer, man built the first cities 5,000 years ago on the banks of the Euphrates in Southern Iraq. Civilization began. City life transformed the human race with the glorious cultures of Mesopotamia such as Ur and Babylon. Historian Michael Wood stands in the Iraqi desert amid crumbling ruins and dry desolation. He describes a once-thriving metropolis, where merchants brought their goods into the city over a network of lush canals. All that remains is a sea of golden sand, the once-large population drifted away, the complex society vanished. As the world approaches the 21st century, this new series reminds us that other nations and cultures prospered for hundreds or even thousands of years. Now all that remains is the legacy of their civilizations, present and influential in our own. 

IRAQ: The Cradle of Civilization    

Further Reading:

The Cradle of civilization - The Khan Acadamy    

Cradle of civilization Wikipedia

Tibetan History

This week we are going to look at the history of Tibet.  Tibet is a region in East Asia covering much of the Tibetan Plateau spanning about 2.5 million km². It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Tamang, Qiang, Sherpa, and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people

 The links below are two documentaries that I have found on YouTube

The Lost World of Tibet

The Forgotten World of Tibet

Further Reading

Tibet - Wikipedia