Assyria occupies a small territory along the upper course of the river Tigris, the territory that stretched from the lower course of Zab in the south to the mountains Masios in the northwest. That is why the name ‘’Assyrian Triangle’’ is made. Within this triangle, or very close to it, are all – important cities of the region: Ashur, Nineveh, Arbela, and Kalah. Country Asur later Assyrian state was named after the city of Assur, which lies on the banks of the Tigris.
Country Assur was firstly mentioned in the XX century BC. The language is a dialect of Akkadian language. From the fifth to the fourth millennium BC, in the territory of Assyria lived Suberian tribes.
- 1960-1400 BC – An old Assyrian Empire
- 1400-1000 BC – Medium Assyrian period
- 9 – 7 century BC-New Assyrian Empire
Economy
The Assyrians were engaged in cattle breeding, agriculture, grain product, fruit growing, trade. They developed metallurgy (copper, bronze). In addition to this and the rivers were rich in fish, while on the hills they had many vineyards. The materials, which they used were clay for making bricks, and Mosul marble. In the area, which is half-dessert area can be found stockpiles of salt. They cultivated cottonseed wood, developed the craft (they made glass, doors with ornaments; they also developed the marble cutting and trimming craft).
Assyrian Trade
They had trading colonies with the Hittites. They traded with Asia Minor (for metals), also it was mentioned trade in Kültepe for gold and silver.
The Assyrian Legal Code
This is one part of the court proceedings in which out of the 79 articles, 51 article concerns family law. This Legal Code is composed approximately during middle of the Second Millennium BC. His text was found in the ruins of the ancient capital city of Assyria, Ashur.
The position of women in Assyria: by family law, wife was in the position of slave. Woman had no right to dispose of property, or to sell it. In the case of adultery, the husband could kill a woman, beat her, and mutilate her, as well as cut her hair off.
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