Home Region: Mesopotamia (Southwest Asia)

Neo-Babylonian Empire

626 BCE 539 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 iq_neo_babylonian_emp / IqNeoBb

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

911 BCE 612 BCE Neo-Assyrian Empire (iq_neo_assyrian_emp) [None]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

Babylon was re-populated by the Chaldean people and the rulers reclaimed the title of King of Babylon. While his father Nabopolassar was on the throne, Nebachudrezzar went on campaigns to defeat the Assyrian and Egyptian armies. ^[1] Having succeeded in creating the Neo-Babylonian empire, he returned to Babylon to be crowned. Nebachudrezzar then undertook a period of building creating some of the most iconic Babylonian architecture. He ruled the Neo-Babylonian empire by enforcing tithes of goods and labour, although some of the most distant Levantine city-states had a deal of autonomy. ^[2] So the empire continued for several decades until the reign of Nabonidus, whom is presumed to be unpopular. He left Babylon for ten years to live in the desert. Cyrus of the Achaemenid empire subsequently took over Babylon. Some say he was welcomed to depose Nabonidus, other evidence suggests he destroyed the city. ^[3]
At the height of it’s power in the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Babylon was given resources to become the centre of the known world for culture, learning and religion.
The audience of Babylonian documents appears to be the Babylonian nobles and priesthood, therefore, they mostly celebrate building projects. It is thought that the empire had reached it’s natural limit within ten years; with the Medians to the north and east, the Egyptians in the south-west and the desert to the south. Therefore, the threatening military literature that pervaded the Neo-Assyrian empire was not needed in the Neo-Babylonian empire. ^[4] As a result, less is known about the military capabilities of the Neo-Babylonian empire.
The major historical events do not appear to have significantly impacted the material culture. There is continuity in form and style through the Achaemenian transition. ^[5]

[1]: Oates, J. 1986. Babylon. London: Thames & Hudson. p.128-130

[2]: Vanderhooft, D.S. 1999. The Neo-Babylonian Empire and Babylon in the Latter Prophets. Harvard Semitic Museum Monographs 59. p.46

[3]: Oates, J. 1986. Babylon. London: Thames & Hudson.

[4]: Liverani, M. 2011. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. London: Routledge. p.541

[5]: Baker, H. D. 2012. The Neo-Babylonian Empire. In Potts, D. T. (ed.) A Companion to the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East. Volume II. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. p.915

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

Religion

1 Religious Tradition

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

Law

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Store Of Wealth

Information / Postal System

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

2 Tension Siege Engine

2 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 Sword

1 Spear

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Donkey

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Helmet

Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

6 Power Transition

Instability Events

2 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp) was in:
(626 BCE 539 BCE)	Southern Mesopotamia / Galilee

Home NGA: Southern Mesopotamia

General Variables

Identity and Location Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	38 S	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Capital	Babylon	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Alternative Name	Chaldeans	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Alternative Name	Chaldean Empire	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[604 BCE ➜ 562 BCE]
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Duration	[626 BCE ➜ 539 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Succeeding Entity	IrAchae	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Preceding Entity 911 BCE 612 BCE	Neo-Assyrian Empire (iq_neo_assyrian_emp) [None]
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Language Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Religion Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religious Tradition	Mesopotamian Religions	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[750,000 to 850,000] km²	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Polity Population	- Suspected	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	5	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Religious Level	4	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Military Level	- Undecided	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Administrative Level	6	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Professions Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Priesthood	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Law Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Port	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Canal	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Bridge	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Script	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Sacred Text	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Religious Literature	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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History	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Fiction	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Calendar	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Information / Money Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Precious Metal	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Article	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Store Of Wealth	Uncoded Undecided	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Information / Postal System Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Measurement System Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moat	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Ditch	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Long Wall	43 km	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Military use of Metals Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Iron	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Copper	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Bronze	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Projectiles Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present Uncertain	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Tension Siege Engine	Absent Uncertain	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Present Uncertain	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent Uncertain	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Sling	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Handheld weapons Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sword	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Spear	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Donkey	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Camel	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Armor Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Shield	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Plate Armor	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Helmet	Present Inferred	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Naval technology Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	626 BCE 539 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Neo-Babylonian Empire (iq_neo_babylonian_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More