Neo-Assyrian Empire
Ancient Iraqi dominion
The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the dominant power in the ancient Near East from roughly 900 to 600 BCE, centered in what is now northern Iraq.
At its height, it controlled territory from Egypt to Persia, employing advanced military tactics and brutal conquest policies that made it one of history's first true empires.
The Neo-Assyrian Empire fell to a coalition of Babylonians and Medes in 612 BCE.
Assyrian empire's seat
- TigrisWestern Asian river
- EuphratesMajor Iraqi river
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
- LevantEastern Mediterranean coastal region
Babylon · Egypt · Samaria · Damascus · Thebes · Anatolia · Syria
Defeating and seizing control
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- warfareArmed conflict between groups
- armyOrganized land-based military
chariots · cavalry · infantry · archers · deportation · subjugation · annexation · expansion
Inscribed earthen slabs
- scriptWritten words for performance
- AkkadianAncient Semitic Mesopotamian language
- scribesProfessional document copiers
- inscriptionsWords carved into surfaces
annals · chronicles · decipherment · syllabary · treaties · prisms · obelisks · stele
Stepped ancient temple mound
- IshtarBabylonian goddess of love
- polytheismBelief in multiple deities
- templesHoly places or head sides
- priestsOrdained religious leaders
rituals · reliefs · mythology · festivals · divination · omens · astrology · winged bull
Rule by crowned sovereign
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
- palaceMonarch's official residence
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- centralizationUnifying control in one place
hegemony · provinces · governors · succession · throne · regency · royal court · imperial authority
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- British MuseumLondon antiquities collection
- LouvreParis art museum
- reliefsRaised surface carvings
Nineveh
Assyrian empire's seat
- TigrisWestern Asian river
- EuphratesMajor Iraqi river
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
Levant · Babylon · Egypt · Samaria · Damascus · Thebes · Anatolia · Syria
conquest
Defeating and seizing control
- siegeEncirclement forcing surrender
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- warfareArmed conflict between groups
army · chariots · cavalry · infantry · archers · deportation · subjugation · annexation · expansion · tribute
clay tablets
Inscribed earthen slabs
- scriptWritten words for performance
- AkkadianAncient Semitic Mesopotamian language
- scribesProfessional document copiers
inscriptions · annals · chronicles · decipherment · syllabary · treaties · prisms · obelisks · stele
ziggurat
Stepped ancient temple mound
- IshtarBabylonian goddess of love
- polytheismBelief in multiple deities
- templesHoly places or head sides
priests · rituals · reliefs · mythology · festivals · divination · omens · astrology · winged bull · royal hunt
monarchy
Rule by crowned sovereign
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
- palaceMonarch's official residence
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
centralization · hegemony · provinces · governors · succession · throne · regency · royal court · imperial authority
excavation
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- British MuseumLondon antiquities collection
- LouvreParis art museum
- ancient civilizationsAncient Egypt, Sumer, Ancient Greece, Aztecs, Egypt
- AssyriaNineveh, cuneiform, royal palace, royal inscriptions, lion hunts
Neo-Assyrian EmpireAncient Egypt
Pharaonic Nile civilization
Kingdom of Israel · Babylonia · Cyrus the Great · Persian Empire