The Assyrian Empire was the first state to achieve durable domination of the Ancient Near East, enduring some seven centuries and, eventually, controlling most of the region. Yet, we know little about how this empire emerged from a relatively minor polity in the Tigris region and how it managed to consolidate its power over conquered territories. Textual sources, often biased, provide a relatively limited source of information. In this study, Bleda S. During examines the rich archaeological data of the early Assyrian Empire that have been obtained over the past decades, together with the textual evidence. The archaeological data enable us to reconstruct the remarkably heterogeneous and dynamic impact of the Assyrian Empire on dominated territories. They also facilitate the reconstruction of the various ways in which people participated in this empire, and what might have motivated them to do so. Finally, During's study shows how imperial repertoires first developed in the Middle Assyrian period were central to the success of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

How can we understand the remarkable success of the Assyrian Empire? This book provides an agent-centred explanation using archaeological data.

About the Author
Bleda S. During is Associate Professor in Near Eastern Archaeology at Universiteit Leiden. He is the author of The Prehistory of Asia Minor (2010) and co-editor, with Tesse Stek, of The Archaeology of Imperial Landscapes (Cambridge, 2018).


Book Information
ISBN 9781108478748
Author Bleda S. During
Format Hardback
Page Count 198
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 600g
Dimensions(mm) 260mm * 186mm * 14mm