Geography
Assyria is located at 42 degrees North latitude and 85 degrees West longitude. It located in north Mesopotamia and extends through Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. Two important rivers that ran through Assyria were the Tigris and the Euhprates rivers. Located in the north and east Assyria were the Taurus and Zagros mountains. Assyria developed in this area because there was great soil and rivers which were important for travel, irrigation, and trade.

Government system :
- politically divided into 2 states
- The King couldn't take control of everyone because Mesopotamia was so large
- the government today is based on social class and
-the government runs on a pyramid system.
1. King
2. Government officials
3. Soldiers
4. Scribes
5. Merchants
6. Artisans
7. Farmers
8. Slaves and Servants
- if slaves messed up doing there jobs the whole system messes up


Religions :
Ashurism was the first religion in early Mesopotamia. The word Ashurism derives from the word Ashur the Assyrian God. This religion was practiced till 265 A.D.
Christianity was the second religion in later Mesopotamia. Assyrians chose weather or weather not they followed either religion.
The Assyrian church was found in 33 A.D. by two men named Thaddeus and Thomas Bartholomew.

Cuneiform was the first writing form. They wrote cuneiform on clay tablets and it was in use from 750 B.C.
Aramaic was the second official language used in 752 B.C. And it was heavily influenced by Akkadian words.

The protective spirit - Palace of Ashurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria - A protective spirit that once guarded the entrance of the King's quarters. This spirit is shown as man with wings like an angel carrying a goat and an ear of corn believed to symbolize fertility.

Guardian - Palace of Ashurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria - King Ashurnasirpal II built a new capital at Nimrud. This palace was decorated with large sculptural figures in the form of a human-headed winged lion guarding the doorways. Its horned cap affirms its divinity while its belt is indicative of its power.

Eagle Spirit - Palace of Ashurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria - In the palace at Nimrud a figure is depicted as an image in the form of an eagle-headed man. This spirit is shown protecting the palace from evil spirits with a cone described as a purifier, along with a ritual cup.

Royal Lion Hunt - Palace of Ashurnasirpal II Nimrud, Assyria - The lion represented the wild forces of nature which was the duty of the King to control. Depictions of royal figures engaged in the lion hunt indicated that this activity was reserved for royalty.

Some of the main technology and contributions that the Assyrians added to Mesopotamian society were the inventions of the wheel, cuneiform, irrigation system, and Hammurabi’s code.The Cuneiform writing was the first written language, which in turn created demands for more languages, Cuneiform being one of the main contributions to Mesopotamian society. The irrigation system was an example of one of the technological advances of the assyrians, the irrigation system was a key factor in creating and developing economies because the better the irrigation system was the more crops you would get and in turn you would be able to store/sell more agriculture.

There actually both built upon the concept of the "household." The palace was considered the household of the king while the temple was a household of their god, and their god had to be clothed and taking care of. It was usually the slaves who actually tended to the needs of the god.


Assyria is located in north Mesopotamia and spans four across 4 countries. In Syria it extends west to the Euphrates river. Assyria is the main source of trade because it is right along the river. It's a strong part of the agriculture in Mesopotamia.
In Turkey it extends north to Harran, Edessa, Diyarbakir, and Lake Van; in Iran it extends east to Lake Urmi, and in Iraq it extends to about 100 miles south.

http://www.arden.com/theartifact/aother1

http://chelseavogel.hubpages.com/hub/Ancient-Mesopotamian

"Ancient Assyria." Ancient Assyria. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
http://www.bible-history.com/assyrian-social-structure/assyrian-social-stru...