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Although archaeological excavations reveal that
the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as
early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of
King Sargon of Akkad in 2371 B.C. that the
Assyrians first rose to glory. Under Sargon, the
kingdom rapidly expanded north to the city of
Ashur and as far west as the Mediterranean,
controlled by a central government based in
Akkad. By 1813 B.C., King Shamshi-Adad I
united the cities of Ashur, Nineveh, and Arbel
into one cohesive administrative unit. These
three cities, as well as Arrapkha and Kalhu (later
known as Nimrud), form the historical core of
the
Assyrian Kingdom which would remain a credible
force throughout the Mediterranean world for
the
next millennium. While various parts of Assyrian
territory were annexed for brief periods of time
by neighboring civilizations, this core remained
firmly intact. The Assyrians experienced another
Golden Age, lasting from the 9th until the 7th
Century B.C. (this period is referred to as “Neo-
Assyrian”). During this period, the kingdom grew
to its largest extent, encompassing the lands
from parts of modern Iran to the Mediterranean,
from Anatolia to Egypt. However, it proved
difficult even for the powerful Assyrian monarchs
to maintain control over this vast territory for
very long. By the end of the 7th Century, the
Assyrian Kingdom began to collapse under the
weight of assaults from the Babylonians to the
south and the newly founded Medes Kingdom to
the east. In 612 B.C., Nimrud burned for the
second time in three years, followed by the
sacking of Ashur and Nineveh, effectively ending
Assyrian control of the ancient Near East.
Throughout the past, great civilizations have
decorated their constructions with sumptuous
paintings and tiles. Many remarkable examples
survive today from the wall paintings and
mosaics of Pompeii to the glazed tiles of the
Ishtar Gate in Babylon.
The tradition of glazed terracotta brick as
adornments began in southern Iran in the 13th
century B.C. This Assyrian glazed brick tile would
have adorned the walls of a temple or palace
structure. The tiered tile is decorated with the
representation of a mythological creature based
on the form of a female human. However, this
woman is winged and has the arms of a lion. A
slight relief of a brown glaze delineates the
outlines of her body as well as the simulated
feathers of the wings. A headband crowns her
head and her curly lucks fall over the back. Seen
in profile, her one ovular eye is fully open and
alert. This fantastical remnant of a lost age
reveals the extreme sophistication and elegance
of the Assyrian civilization.
- (AM.0145)
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