The Pax Assyriaca: The Historical Evolution of Civilisations and Archaeology of Empires

By (author) Benjamin Toro

Book cover: The Pax Assyriaca: The Historical Evolution of Civilisations and Archaeology of Empires

Extent: 226 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: Ancient Near East

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(February 2022)

ISBN: 9781789690620

8.07 x 11.42 inches

Price: $55.00

In stock

This study of the evolutionary process of ancient civilisations stresses the complementarity between theoretical principles and the relevant historical and archaeological evidence. Taking its approach from World Systems Theory, it focuses on the origin, development and collapse of the first, ‘Near Eastern’, stage of the ‘Central Civi


This volume provides a study of the evolutionary process of ancient civilizations, stressing the comparison between theoretical principles and relevant historical and archaeological evidence. For this reason, the study focusses on the origin, development and collapse of the first stage of the ‘Central Civilization’, which was the result of the merger of two primeval civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, during the ‘Near Eastern phase’ of this Central Civilisation. This merger seems to have been the result of the political expansion of an imperial entity coming from Mesopotamia under the aegis of the so-called Neo-Assyrian Empire from 1000 BC to 600 BC – better known as the Pax Assyriaca – although the process of full integration with Egypt seems to have been concluded, according to the archaeological records, only by the successor empires of Assyria circa 430 BC.

Introduction ;

The concept of civilisationThe historical evolution of civilisationsFirst aim of this study: the Central Civilisation and the Mesopotamian / Egyptian mergerSecond aim of this study: the methodological approach to the archaeological knowledge of the Ancient Near EastThird aim of this study: an approach to World Systems Theory and archaeology Chapter 1: The Historical Evolution of the Ancient Near East and the Rise of the Assyrian Phenomenon ;

The Ancient Near East as geopolitical entityThe Land of Mesopotamia as the Cradle of CivilisationThe Mesopotamian symbiosisThe Assyrian phenomenonThe Ancient Near East and the ‘catastrophe’ at the end of the Bronze Age Chapter 2: The Neo-Assyrian Empire and the Pax Assyriaca The archaeology of empires: theories, approaches and problemsThe meaning of ‘empire’ and its principal dimensionsThe Neo-Assyrian expansion and the peripheral polities under its dominationThe Neo-Assyrian hierarchy of its imperial coreThe Neo-Assyrian order and its global context Chapter 3: Ancient Egypt and the Pax Assyriaca General introduction to the Egyptian civilisationAncient Egypt, the Neo-Assyrian expansion and its peripheral polities of dominationAncient Egypt and the Neo-Assyrian imperial coreAncient Egypt and the Neo-Assyrian order in its global context Chapter 4: The Collapse of the Pax Assyriaca The collapse of the Neo-Assyrian EmpireAncient Egypt and the collapse of the Neo-Assyrian Empire Conclusion ;

Bibliography

  • By (author) Benjamin Toro

'According to a (prevailing, but not undisputed) research opinion, the Assyrians succeeded in achieving an “Assyrian peace” for most of the 7th century BC (specifically ca. 700-620 BC) through their foreign and expansion policy, which created good economic opportunities in the controlled regions. The author aims to describe this evolutionary process in more detail by simultaneously drawing on historical sources and archaeological findings.' (Translated from German) - W. Zwickel (2024): Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

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