Please join us for our annual lecture, given this year by Dr. Amy Barron (Fleming College). The lecture, “The Art of War: Proof or Propaganda,” will take place on Wednesday, April 21st, 2021 at 5:30 pm EDT on Zoom. The lecture is part of the AIA’s Kershaw Lectures in Near East Archaeology series. Please click on the following link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C2A5JKY9TiWccMDiGcQNhA The event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!
Abstract:
In the first millennium BCE the ancient Assyrians rolled across the Near East leaving fear in their wake. They celebrated the victories of their mighty armies on the walls of the palaces of Nimrud, Nineveh and Khorsabad. Scenes of battles, sieges, collection of booty and camp life abound. But can we trust these illustrations left by the conqueror of their defeat of the conquered? Can we believe that the images left to us are reflective of the true military history of the period? Only by pairing the art of the Assyrian palaces with the archaeological finds of their arms and armour can a true picture begin to emerge. Only by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the artistic images can we begin to unravel whether they represent proof or propaganda.
