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