Exploring the rural landscape of the Neo-Assyrian Empire : settlement increase in the Iron Age Near East
The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a complex political entity that controlled most of the Near East from the 9th to the 7th centuries BCE. This empire has been described in recent scholarship as having made a unique imprint on the regional landscape. This thesis is a re-examination of the archaeological evidence that explores the changes in settlement patterns that have been noted in surveys carried out in various parts of the Near East. It also examines excavation evidence from a number of sites in former Assyrian provinces in order to obtain a clearer picture of the rural landscape of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and to consider whether the Pax Assyriaca hypothesis provides a valid interpretative framework for the survey and excavation evidence. The thesis will reconsider the survey data from the Tigris-Euphrates Archaeological Reconnaissance Project, which was used to support the 'agricultural colonisation' hypothesis proposed by Bradley Parker, and compare this with evidence obtained from other surveys conducted in Syro-Mesopotamia and the southern Levant. It will then examine excavation evidence from a series of sites - a medium-sized tell in the upper Euphrates region, four small sites in the Upper Tigris valley,
Yahambaram, Parthiban
Exploring the rural landscape of the Neo-Assyrian Empire : settlement increase in the Iron Age Near East. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a complex political entity that controlled most of the Near East from the 9th to the 7th centuries BCE. This empire has been described in recent scholarship as having made a unique imprint on the regional landscape. This thesis is a re-examination of the archaeological evidence that explores the changes in settlement patterns that have been noted in surveys carried out in various parts of the Near East. It also examines excavation evidence from a number of sites in former Assyrian provinces in order to obtain a clearer picture of the rural landscape of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and to consider whether the Pax Assyriaca hypothesis provides a valid interpretative framework for the survey and excavation evidence. The thesis will reconsider the survey data from the Tigris-Euphrates Archaeological Reconnaissance Project, which was used to support the 'agricultural colonisation' hypothesis proposed by Bradley Parker, and compare this with evidence obtained from other surveys conducted in Syro-Mesopotamia and the southern Levant. It will then examine excavation evidence from a series of sites - a medium-sized tell in the upper Euphrates region, four small sites in the Upper Tigris valley,
exploring rural_landscape neo assyrian empire settlement_increase iron age near east neo assyrian empire complex political_entity control near_east bce empire describe recent_scholarship make unique imprint regional_landscape re_examination archaeological_evidence explores change settlement_pattern note survey_carry various part near_east also_examine excavation evidence number site former assyrian province order_obtain clear_picture rural_landscape neo assyrian empire consider_whether hypothesis provide valid interpretative_framework survey_excavation evidence reconsider survey_data euphrates archaeological project use_support agricultural colonisation hypothesis_propose compare evidence obtain survey_conduct mesopotamia southern_levant examine excavation evidence series sit medium_sized tell upper euphrates region small site upper valley