The Assyrians
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The Assyrians
The Assyrians had an empire that, at its height, stretched from the eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf as well as including Egypt.
They adopted cultural elements from earlier Mesopotamian civilizations such as the Sumerians and the Babylonians. For example, they adopted much of their religion, social structure and cuneiform (wedge-shaped) writing from the Sumerians.
Assyria's capital in early times was Ashur (later renamed as Nineveh). It was situated on the River Tigris, the location being identified as opposite the city of Mosul in modern-day Iraq. Their capital was decorated with magnificent palaces and temples.
Ancient Assyrian Artifacts
Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians
Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians (Dictionaries of Civilization)
Amazon Price: $18.29 (as of 05/28/2012)
This beautifully illustrated guide to the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is the perfect companion for travelers and armchair travelers alike. It provides a concise survey of three ancient cultures that have often been misunderstood, both because of Biblical and neoclassical traditions, and because of twentieth- and twenty-first-century events. Lavishly illustrated in full color on every page, the book is arranged topically to cover the broad areas of life, such as people, politics, religion, the world of the dead, and important places and monuments. The text emphasizes the archaeological and literary evidence pertaining to Mesopotamia during the period before the arrival of Alexander the Great, beginning with the written sources, including the list of Sumerian kings and the epic of Gilgamesh, and continuing with the major personages, such as the Akkadian monarchy from Sargon through Nabonedo. The book also brings together the principal Mesopotamian works of art that have been dispersed in museums worldwide - notably the materials from the Baghdad Museum that were damaged or lost in the present war. Packed with information, images, maps, diagrams, and reconstructions, Mesopotamia is the perfect companion to an important ancient civilization.
Simo Parpola about Assyrians
Latest News on the Assyrians
The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal
One of the great treasures of the Neo-Assyrian Empire was the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal. It contained thousands of clay tablets and texts of all kinds, including the famous Epic of Gilgamesh (a retelling of the great flood story).
This Library was rediscovered in the 19th century by the British archaeologist, Austen Henry Layard, and most of the clay tablets were taken to the British Museum, London.
Epic of Gilgamesh tablet telling of the Great Flood (Royal Library of Ashurbanipal; now British Museum) (Photo: Fæ)
The Assyrians (article)
During the Old Assyrian period (20th to 15th c. BCE, Assur controlled much of Upper Mesopotamia. In the Middle Assyrian period (15th to 10th c. BCE), its influence waned and was subsequently regained in a series of conquests. The Neo-Assyrian Empire of the Early Iron Age (911 - 612 BCE) expanded further, and under Ashurbanipal (r. 668 - 627 BCE) for a few decades controlled all of the Fertile Crescent, as well as Egypt, before succumbing to Neo-Babylonian and Persian expansion.
Source: Wapedia
Austen Henry Layard's excavations in Nimrod (once part of Ancient Assyria)
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