The Imperialisation of Assyria

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. Dring 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 Dring''s study shows how imperial repertoires first developed in the Middle Assyrian period were central to the success of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.