The document discusses the Near East around 1500 BC and the transition from city-states to territorial states. It describes the major powers of the time including Mitanni, Assyria, Kassite Babylonia, Elam, and the Hittite kingdom. Diplomacy was conducted through letters and treaties. Warfare mostly consisted of border conflicts to extend influence. Palace culture saw the rise of an international elite class who mixed local and foreign traditions while competing for wealth and prestige.