The military affairs of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, and other peoples who dominated the Near East from around 3000 BC to 550 BC. In addition to depicting military technology, weapons, and fortifications, it aims to show that the ancient Orient—often referred to as the cradle of civilization—also played a pioneering role in military matters. The processing of bronze and iron as materials for weapons, the development of horse-drawn chariots, siege techniques, and fighting in closed formations all originated in the ancient Oriental world and spread from there to neighboring regions such as Egypt and Greece. Additionally, foreign peoples, such as the nomadic Cimmerians and Scythians from the steppes of the Black Sea, also influenced ancient Oriental warfare.