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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.
This head is broken off from a statuette at the
neck, of which more is preserved at the front
than at the back. The general shape is well
achieved, and the features are naturalistically
rendered, with a straight nose, big eyes, a
moustache on top of the lips and hanging down
at each side of the lips. The beard is rendered in
curls and runs down from the bottom of the hat
to the lower neck, where the break occurs,
completely covering the chin. An elaborate
earring hangs from each ear. A tight fitting hat
rests on top of the head, with a conical point, the
whole slanting a little bit backwards. The lower
parts of the hat would have been covered with
decoration. At the center of the back, the head of
what may be a man appears, within a welter of
other items, not now clear. The decoration
continues without interruption to the edge of the
hat, and continues all around.
- (SF.089)
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