The Assyrians

existed around 2000-612 BCE lived in northern Mesopotamia on the Tigris River middle bronze age

Assyria

Consisted of city-states and Semetic kingdoms

Shamshi-Adad I was the monarch after he captured the city of Ashur

Ashur was the base city from which Assyria was born

Most of the empire’s expansion occurred in this time period under Tukulti-Ninurta I

The Assyrian law code was created, giving women less rights

Middle Assyrian Period

Assyrians had good farming systems with irrigation had large cities for trade few slaves, but didn’t play big part in the economy made iron

Economics

Monarchs:-Tiglat-Pileser(1116-1090 BCE)-extended authority to Syria andArmenia-Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BCE)-conquered Mesopotamia andmodern day Lebanon-Shalmaneser III (858-824 BCE)-conquered all of Syria,Palestine, Armenia, Babylon, and Southern Mesopotamia

Individuals

literature was one of their finest achievements first used cuneiform, later used Aramaic writing wrote down medicine, legal issues, and history had sculptures and wall carvings

Culture

battering ram excavation concepts of engineering made chariots popular worked with metals like bronze and iron

Technology

had good weapons and a well trained army conquered many cities and made them pay tribute army consisted of foot soldiers, chariots, archers, and

cavalry weapons made of iron

Warfare

Their art depicted battle scenes and destruction of the cities they conquered

Their sculptures were used to guard the king’s court

Art

In 612 BCE the Chaldeans captured the capital city of Nineveh

The empire fell without the control of Nineveh

Fall of the Assyrian Empire

Located in North Mesopotamia Expands over 4 countries (Turkey, Iran,

Syria, & Iraq) Goes to Euphrates Tigris runs through it The Taurus and Zagros Mts. To the north

and east Southern limestone plateau

Rich and fertile land The Arbel and Nineveh plain make up the

middle of Assyria

Wrote on clay tablets in cuneiform Spoke Akkadian 750 BC they started using papyrus paper Aramaic was the 2nd official language

Monotheist’s Ashurism was the first religion (until 256

AD) 1st to accept Christianity

1st Golden Age1st Dark Age

2400 BC to 612 BC Fruitful time Sargon of Akkad was the 1st ruler Ended with the tragic fall of Nineveh 3 major cities: Ashur, Nineveh, Arbel Successful warriors One of the 1st empires

612 BC – 33 AD Empire collapsed in 612 Employed by Persians as troops Failed attempt to reestablish in 350 BC Persians killed 400 of the Assyrian leaders

Kings were in charge of everything except religion

Kings oldest son handled administrative affairs.

Some low taxes and freedom to choose to not join the military.

150,000-200,000 men First to use large Calvary squadrons Had 3000 horses a month for use in battle Had the most modern equipment Consisted: helmet, body armor, boots, and

backpacks

Weapons: composite bows, ands swords Protection: helmet, body armor, shields. Shields were so strong they could withstand

a firearm up to Napoleons time. Bows were not matched until the Prussian

needle gun in 1871

Kings and his advisors lived in luxury Followed Hammurabi’s code Citizens spent time working in their farms

People became slaves one of two ways: prisoner of war, owed debt.

Mostly people who owed debt. Slaves worked for wages.

Family was extremely important. Men wore skirts to show their significance

(long=important, short=not). Marriages were monogamous. 1st son received largest inheritance.

Assyria was a beautiful and fertile land. The people were to unsettled to be peaceful Big on military and family. Assyria was one of the most successful

empires in the ancient world.

The Assyrians were people who lived in northern Mesopotamia.

The Assyrian empire began as the small city of Ashur, located in Northern Mesopotamia.

Slowly, they began to grow into an empire.

Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire.

It was located on the bank of the Tigris river, at a very important trading spot.

Assyria covered modern day Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers run through the land, creating fertile soil.

The main religion that they practiced was Ashurism.

They practiced this until they eventually adopted Christianity in 33 C.E.

The Assyrians wrote on clay tablets using a style of writing called Cuneiform.

More recently, they used modern ways of writing, such as parchment or leather.

Some famous leaders were-

Sargon of Akkad Ashur-uballit

In the 24th and 23rd centuries B.C.E., Sargon led the Assyrian empire on a conquering rampage.

He is known as one of the first people to record a multi-ethnic empire ruled by one government.

Ashur-uballit ruled the Assyrians from 1365-1330 B.C.E.

He began the Assyrians reign of power.

The Assyrians were known for their beautifully crafted stone sculptures.

The most famous sculpture is the Bull-Man, Lamassu.

They made great advances in building.

One of their most useful accomplishments was heating bricks to harden them, and make them sturdier.

They were conquered by Babylon who was under the rule of Hammurabi.

Eventually, they regained power.

The Assyrians were a powerful empire.

Under the rule of Sargon of Akkad, they conquered anybody who stood in their way.

They advanced things such as building and sculpting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Assyrians#Old_Assyrian_city-states_and_kingdoms

http://www.aina.org/aol/peter/brief.htm http://wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/ASSYRIA.HTM http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/

history/assyrians.htm

Bibliography

www. aina.org/aol/peter/brief.htm#Geography

http://www.bible-history.com/assyrian-social-structure/index.html

World Book Encyclopedia A-1 pg. 822-823

Joshua Williams

Jake lindee

Sam Jones

Landon Johnson