1a+-+Assyrians

By: Lauren Castaldi and Christina Quaglia

The Assyrian history first started in 2400 B.C. It was divided into six different time periods to make things more manageable. The time periods include Emergence, First Golden Age, First Dark Age, Second Golden Age, Second Dark Age, and Diaspora. The Emergence etablished the fundamentals of our civilization such as animal domestication, agriculture, pottery, and smelting. The First Golden Age was from 2400 B.C. to 612 B.C. The Assyrian territory greatly expanded when the Middle Assyrian empire began in 1307 B.C. This empire was led by Tiglath - Pileser III. The Assyrians were well- known for their use of violence. They used violence not because they were barbaric, but because that was their only way to survive.

Assyria is located in north Mesopotamia and expands through four countries: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The civilization strategically surrounds two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. This rivers were a key source for trade and transportation, and they brought many riches to the city. The main Assyrian cities are: Ashur, capital city is Nineveh, Mosul; and Arbela. Assyria is an extremely fertile region. In the southern part of Assyria the Tigris river deposites alot of silt which fertiles the soil. These plains by the rivers were an important for farming.

Assyria is located in north Mesopotamia and expands through four countries: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The civilization strategically surrounds two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. This rivers were a key source for trade and transportation, and they brought many riches to the city. Assyria is an extremely fertile region. In the southern part of Assyria the Tigris river deposites alot of silt which fertiles the soil. These plains by the rivers were a very important element for farming. The main Assyrian cities are: Ashur, the capital city Nineveh, Mosul, and Arbela.

The Assyrians spoke in two languages: Akkadian and Aramaic. They started writing in cuneiform on clay tablets. Later in about 750 B.C. they started writing on parchment, leather, or papyrus, and eventually they made Aramaic their second official language. Although Assyrians changed to speaking Aramaic, people still combined Akkadian words with the Aramaic language. People refer to this combined language as Assyrian Aramaic. Not only did the Assyrians speak two languages, they also practiced two religions. They were Ashurism and Christianity. The Assyrians practiced a Ashurism first and they worshiped Ashur, the Assyrian god. Then they started to accept Christianity and their first church was founded in 33 A.D.



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