Craig W. Tyson - Imperial Peripheries in the Neo-Assyrian Period

Edited by

Craig W. Tyson and Virginia R. Herrmann

University Press of Colorado

Louisville

2018 by University Press of Colorado

Published by University Press of Colorado

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Louisville, Colorado 80027

All rights reserved

The University Press of Colorado is a proud member of the Association of University Presses.

The University Press of Colorado is a cooperative publishing enterprise supported, in part, by Adams State University, Colorado State University, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Regis University, University of Colorado, University of Northern Colorado, Utah State University, and Western State Colorado University.

ISBN: 978-1-60732-822-3 (cloth)

ISBN: 978-1-60732-823-0 (ebook)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5876/9781607328230

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Tyson, Craig W. (Craig William), 1976 editor. | Herrmann, Virginia Rimmer, editor.

Title: Imperial peripheries in the Neo-Assyrian period / edited by Craig W. Tyson, Virginia R. Herrmann.

Description: Boulder : University Press of Colorado, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018034661| ISBN 9781607328223 (cloth) | ISBN 9781607328230 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: AssyriaPolitics and government. | ImperialismHistoryTo 1500. | AssyriaHistory. | AssyriaAntiquities.

Classification: LCC DS73.7 .I47 2018 | DDC 935/.03dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018034661

Cover illustrations: courtesy, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, 74.51.4557 (front, top); courtesy, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (front, bottom); Metropolitan Museum of Art (back).

In Memory of Bradley J. Parker

A rare and enthusiastic scholar equally at home in Old and New World Archaeology

Virginia R. Herrmann (Universitt Tbingen) and Craig W. Tyson (DYouville College)

Bleda S. Dring (Leiden University)

Guido Guarducci (CAMNES; University of Reading)

Avraham Faust (Bar-Ilan University)

Erin Darby (University of Tennessee)

Stephanie H. Brown (University of California, Berkeley)

Craig W. Tyson (DYouville College)

Megan Cifarelli (Manhattanville College)

Anna Cannav (CNRS, UMR 5189 HiSoMA, MOM, Lyon)

Bradley J. Parker (University of Utah)

MapExpansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

Juxtaposition of the extent of the Assyrian Empire in the Middle Assyrian Period and the early part of the Neo-Assyrian Period

Late Bronze Age occupation at Tell Sabi Abyad in level 6A

Map of the Middle Assyrian Empire with various repertoires of rule used by Assyria indicated

Upper Tigris Borderland with main Iron Age sites and modern cities indicated

Diagram of pottery productions and influence dynamics within the Upper Tigris Borderland

The Middle Assyrian network-empire and its settlement types and the Neo-Assyrian territorial empire and its main contexts

Upper Tigris River Valley settlement increase from the Early Iron Age to the Middle Iron Age

Middle and Late Assyrian number of sites recorded from selected survey areas

Map of sites mentioned in the text

Assyrian destruction layer at Tel Eton

Integrated economic system of the south in the seventh century BCE

Beit Aryeh

Distribution of olive oil production centers in time and space

Molded head figurine from the City of David

Pinched head figurine from the City of David

JPF body from the City of David

Map of southern Jordan and the Negev in the Iron Age

Excavated areas at Busayra

Oakeshotts Bowl K

Buildings DD001 and DD002

Storage vessels from Busayra

Cooking vessels from Busayra

Serving vessels from Busayra

Percentage of vessel types from Buildings DD001 and DD002 by function

Frequency of painted and fine-ware sherds from Buildings DD001 and DD002

Frequency of Imitation Assyrian Palace Ware

Map of Ammon

Increase in number of identified sites from the Late Bronze Age/Iron Age I transition through Iron Age IIC

Assyrian-style pottery from Ammon

Seal illustrating Mesopotamian-style iconography with an Ammonite inscription: Belonging to Shubel

Relief from Rujm al-Kursi showing local adaptation of the standard of Sn of Harran

Statue of Yaraazar illustrating a mix of iconographic styles

Excavation photograph of Period IVb destruction in Temple BBII

Hasanlu citadel, Period IVb

Contour plan of Hasanlu, Iran, with burial excavations in the northeast quadrant

Excavation drawing Burial SK493a, young male

Map of the region

Excavation photograph of the Gold Bowl

Excavation photograph of the Silver Beaker

Copper alloy belt from Burial SK493

Sargon II stele from Larnaca, 707 BCE , with a detail of the left side

Lul of Tyre escaping the Assyrians, 701 BCE

Esarhaddon prism from Nineveh, 673 BCE

Map of Cyprus, showing the main Archaic and Classical centers

Map of Cyprus, showing the area of cultural influence of each kingdom according to terracotta stylistic analysis

Silver bowl with incised decoration and Cypro-Syllabic inscription, said to be from Kourion, late eighthseventh centuries BCE

Limestone colossal head from Golgoi, late seventhsixth centuries BCE

Phoenician dedication to Baal of Lebanon by the skn of Qarthadasht, found in Cyprus, 739730 BCE

Overview of hardware type repertoires of rule in the Middle and Neo-Assyrian Empires

Overview of software type repertoires of rule in the Middle and Neo-Assyrian Empires

Transjordanian chronology

Cypriot chronology

Cypriot kings named in the parallel lists of Esarhaddon (673672 BCE ) and Ashurbanipal (after 664 BCE )

Our interest in the peripheries of the Neo-Assyrian Empire stems from research on two regions that had sustained interactions with Assyrian power. In Craigs case it is the area around Amman, Jordan, that was home to the ancient Ammonites. In Virginias case it is the site of Zincirli in southern Turkey. In both cases our studies led us to consider carefully the interactions between empires and the smaller societies surrounding them. This shared interest was what led us to organize sessions on imperial peripheries at three consecutive annual meetings of the American Schools of Oriental Research (201113). A core group of scholars from those sessions joined us in proposing this volume, and we brought together several others to broaden its geographical scope. The resulting volume brings together eleven scholars from five countries to reconsider and reconceive interactions between the Neo-Assyrian Empire and its peripheries.

We would like to thank Darrin Pratt, director of the University Press of Colorado, for his initial idea for the book, as well as Jessica dArbonne (former acquisitions editor) and the rest of the University Press of Colorado staff for shepherding us through the process of producing this book. Our thanks to three anonymous reviewers whose comments and critiques strengthened many of the books chapters as well as the overall clarity. We would also like to thank our contributors, who have been responsive to our feedback and requests. It has been a pleasure to work with all of you.