Drawing Distinctions: Assyrians and Others in the Art of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

Between the ninth and seventh centuries BCE, Neo-Assyrian Empire became largest world had yet seen. In process of imperial conquest, Assyrian state incorporated previously foreign territories people into their world. Landscapes, materials, labor conquered bodies a part royal palaces northern Iraq, both as elements construction themes emphasized within extensive visual programs palace reliefs. Within through depiction enemy landscapes, in being (often violently) reshaped by hands, kings brought farthest reaches center power. This article considers how specific strategies representation art allowed to serve microcosm empire map its borders. Palace remade, reworked, or recreated, defining “Assyrianness” that which remakes has been remade. As central act remaking, I examine representations captive submissive foreigners, whose presence reliefs commemorates humiliation while compounding enhancing it very ways these figures are depicted: cringing, deficient, physiologically incorrect. pay particular attention examples from late King Ashurbanipal’s reign, leaders singled out with distinctive facial features. argue this (literally) drawing distinctions was an inherently process, one expressed enabled ideology expansion control.