Armenia

The ancient cultures section features many of the world's ancient cultures/empires. Presented with each is a brief history, a glossary, myths, rulers, and more. The Oriental Institute Museum is a showcase of the history, art and archaeology of the ancient Near East. An integral part of the Universit...

Quick FactsTypeLogophoneticGenealogyCuneiformLocationWest Asia > MesopotamiaTime~2500 BCE to 100 CEDirectionVariable While the cuneiform writing system was created and used at first only by the Sumerians, it did not take long before neighboring groups adopted it for their own use. By about 2500...

Religion and CultureAssyrian relief (c. 865-860 BCE) with cuneiform script, and depiction of a royal helper carrying a bucket The Assyrian religion was heavily influenced by that of its Mesopotamian predecessors—mainly the Sumerian culture. The chief god of the Assyrians was Ashur, from whom both th...

Axum, also known as Aksum, was an ancient kingdom located in what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea. The civilization of Axum is believed to have emerged around the 4th century BCE and reached its peak between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. It is widely considered to be one of the most important and influe...