assyrians & their horses

Archaeological Institute of America, ChicagoOctober 8, 2011

The Assyrians & Their Horses

The Middle East and Northeast Africa

“Land of Ashur”

Kushite heartland

Horses in the Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire in 700 BC

The Kingdom of Kush

The Kingdom of Kush

º Memphis LE

VAN

T

The Assyrian Empire in c. 650

BC

YADNANA

“Calculated frightfulness”

“More calculated frightfulness”

Deportation and resettlement

The king and his men

A professional army

Siege warfare

Economic warfare

The Assyrian army on the march

Chariot horses and mounts

Chariots: The nucleus of the campaigning army

Cavalrymen worked in pairs early on

Cavalrymen in action later on

Growing demand for bigger horses

Horses in the 9th-8th centuries vs. the 7th century BC

750 BC 650 BC

Well-built, well-muscled animals

Horses were acquired as booty

Horses were delivered as tribute

title

Medes and manneans

title

Egyptians & kushites

Medes & manneans

Partial list of horse reports from Nabû-shumu-iddina,

“Mayor” of the Nabû Temple in Nimrud

Kushite horses from Assyrian magnates

More Kushite horses from Assyrian magnates

Kushites in Assyria

… in the Nimrud ivories

Ivory cheek-pieces from Nimrud

Kushites were in involved in the care and handling of horses in Assyria

Other Kushites in Assyrian texts

The Zincirli stele of Esarhaddon