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The Ancient Assyrians: A Legacy of Power and Politics
How Assyria grew from a city-state on the Tigris into the largest empire the Near East had seen, and why it collapsed in 612 BCE, from Tiglath-Pileser III to Ashurbanipal.
Babylon and Assyria
Assyria and Rivals
Assyrian power and the Hittite and Kassite kingdoms.
The Ancient Assyrian Art: A Legacy of Power and Politics
Assyrian palace reliefs, winged bull guardians and lion hunt scenes from Nimrud and Nineveh were carefully designed royal propaganda. Here is how to read them.
The Ancient City of Hattusa: A Marvel of Hittite Architecture
Hattusa, the Hittite capital in central Turkey, is known for its stone walls and gates, great temples, the rock sanctuary of Yazilikaya and a huge cuneiform archive.
The Ancient Civilization of the Hittites: A Culture of Gods and Kings
An overview of the Hittite kingdom in Anatolia: its kings, its many gods, its treaty with Egypt and the collapse of its capital and empire around 1200 BCE.
The Ancient Civilization of the Kassites: A Culture of Kings and Priests
The Kassite dynasty ruled Babylonia for roughly four centuries. Here are its kings, its horses, its boundary stones and the capital of Dur-Kurigalzu.
The Enigmatic Stele of the Ancient Assyrians
Assyrian victory stelae, prisms and annals, including the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, are major sources for campaigns and tribute, if read with care.
The Forgotten Empire of the Hittites: A Story of Conquest and Defeat
Hittite military power from the sack of Babylon in about 1595 BCE to Suppiluliuma I, the Battle of Kadesh and the collapse of the empire around 1200 BCE.
The Forgotten History of the Ancient Hittites
How the Hittites were rediscovered: biblical and Egyptian clues, the Hattusa tablets and Bedrich Hrozny's 1915 identification of Hittite as an Indo-European language.
The Forgotten History of the Kassite Kingdom
Kassite boundary stones (kudurru) recorded royal land grants, while the Amarna letters show Kassite kings as diplomats. Here is how this stable dynasty is remembered.
The Forgotten Kingdom of the Hittites: A Hidden Gem of Ancient History
Hittite law and society: the surviving law collection, kingship and the queen's role, vassal treaties and everyday life, with a comparison to Mesopotamian law codes.
The Forgotten Kingdom of the Mitanni: A Hidden Gem of Ancient History
The Mitanni kingdom was a Hurrian-speaking power in northern Syria and Iraq known for horse-training texts and royal marriages with Egypt, before Assyria absorbed it.
Uncovering the Secrets of the Ancient Assyrians
Assyrian archaeology from Botta and Layard at Khorsabad, Nimrud and Nineveh to modern teams at Ashur, and what the digs reveal about libraries and daily life.
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