1000-540 BC Iron Age

During this period iron began to be used more widely in several regions of Asia, although in other areas such as Korea and Japan, bronze technology was only just beginning to be introduced. Many small kingdoms emerged in western Asia such as those of Israel, Judah, Ammon, Moab, and Edom. From 850 BC Assyria increased its empire until it reached Egypt. In 612 BC the Medes of Iran and the Babylonians of Mesopotamia sacked the major Assyrian cities and divided the empire between them.

In southern Asia a second major process of urbanisation and city-building also took place, centred on the Gangetic Plain. In China the Western Zhou ruled large areas until defeated by the Eastern Zhou in about 770 BC. Despite continual warfare, this was a time of economic and cultural expansion; cities and trade developed, and it was the age of great philosophers such as Confucius.

In Korea bronze was probably introduced around 1000 BC. During this period people moved from living along river edges to living on hillsides and using the lower slopes for farming. By this time bronze-working had also been introduced to mainland southeast Asia, but in Japan the Neolithic Jômon culture continued.