If the EB III gave rise to powerful kings and queens, buried in magnificent monuments with unspeakable riches, then the EB IV produced the first real empire, ruled by Sargon of Akkad. Egypt during the reign of Pepi I also extended the territory under its rule, in the southern Levant and Nubia.

Regions separated by vast distances were brought into direct contact during this period, either through warfare or trade. Ships of Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha shuttled precious cargo between Mesopotamia, Arabia, and the Indus Valley. The ruins of their elusive cities have been located in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, while further to the east, archaeologists have uncovered a third great riverine civilization, in Pakistan and India.

The wars of empire ended with the collapse of Akkad and the disintegration of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. Chaos ensued when highlanders from the eastern Zagros seized control of the Mesopotamian floodplain. But out of the chaos there arose, during the MB I, a new Sumerian epoch, first in Lagash (Lagash II) and continuing in Ur (Ur III).

The MB I is marked by protracted drought which likely contributed to the abandonment of urban centers in the Levant and the breakdown of central authority in Egypt. Amorites, from the fringes of settled lands, gained control of entire regions. Growing in strength and numbers, and carrying potent new weapons, they posed a threat to both Egypt and Mesopotamia. An alliance between the Amorites and Elamites brought the defeat of Ur, thus bringing the Sumerian epoch to an end, and the MB I.

Chronology of the EB IV – MB I

Map of the Ancient Near East