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Neo-Assyrian Empire
The Neo-Assyrian Empire (912-612 BCE) was the final stage of the Assyrian Empire, stretching throughout Mesopotamia, the Levant, Egypt, Anatolia, and into parts of Persia and Arabia. Beginning with the reign of Adad Nirari II (912-891 BCE...
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Octagonal Prism of Sargon II from Khorsabad
The cuneiform inscription on this octagonal spindle-shaped clay prism narrates the military campaigns of the Neo-Assyrian king Sargon II (reigned 722 - 705 BCE). Neo-Assyrian period, late 8th century BCE. From Nineveh, in modern-day Ninawa...
Definition
Kalhu / Nimrud
Kalhu (also known as Caleh, Calah, and Nimrud, in modern-day northern Iraq) was a city in ancient Mesopotamia that became the capital of the Assyrian Empire under Ashurnasirpal II (r. 884-859 BCE) who moved the central government there from...
Article
Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Daily life in ancient Mesopotamia cannot be described in the same way one would describe life in ancient Rome or Greece. Mesopotamia was never a single, unified civilization, not even under the Akkadian Empire of Sargon of Akkad (the Great...
Definition
Ur
Ur was a city in the region of Sumer, southern Mesopotamia, and its ruins lie in what is modern-day Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq. According to biblical tradition, the city is named after the man who founded the first settlement there, Ur, though...
Video
Cradles of Civilization - Sargon of Akkad
In the fifth part of his lecture, Dr. Neiman explains that as the writing system developed, the Sumerian and Akkadian civilizations start describing their world. The autobiography of the Akkadian King Sargon of Akkad is recounted.
Definition
Nineveh
Nineveh (modern-day Mosul, Iraq) was one of the oldest and greatest cities in antiquity. It was originally known as Ninua, a trade center, and would become one of the largest and most affluent cities in antiquity. It was regarded highly by...
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Glass Jar of Sargon II
This glass vessel was carved out of a solid block and the center was drilled out thereafter. Neo-Assyrian Period, reign of Sargon II, 721-705 BCE. From the North-West Palace at Nimrud, Northern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. (British Museum...
Definition
Ancient Persian Government
The government of ancient Persia was based on an efficient bureaucracy which combined the centralization of power with the decentralization of administration. The Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) founded by Cyrus the Great (r. c. 550-530...
Definition
Mesopotamian Naru Literature
Mesopotamian Naru Literature was a literary genre, first appearing around the 2nd millennium BCE, which featured a famous person (usually a king) from history as the main character in a story that most often concerned humanity's relationship...