Assryian Art and the Great Hunt - By: Vance Lassiter

In the 9th century BC, Assyrians controlled a region that extended from the border of Egypt to the Persian Gulf. The Assyrians identified themselves through warfare and a divine belief in their duty to enforce their gods on the territories they had vanquished. The Assyrians were the first culture to use iron weapons. They were cunning military minds who mastered the art of war.

Their military might was imposing and many of their foes surrendered to the Assyrians without any fight. Those that did not faced a well-condition military force whose rolling seige towers and battering rams made short work of their opponents.

Not surprisingly, Mesopotamian art suggests that hunting had an important symbolic value for the culture. In Assyria this was definitely the case as there are dozens of stone art works from Assyria that depict the Royal Hunt. The Royal Hunt was an important ritual that established the Kings domain over brute nature, and demonstrated his courage. The Assyrian king added to his reputation as a warrior by participating in the Royal Hunt. There is certainly exageration in the depiction of these activities, but the reliefs suggest that the kings were generally worthy rulers.

Ancient Assyrian art demonstrates the rich, ceremonial qualities of the Royal Hunt. Many of the artistic wall reliefs found by archaeologists show the king offering animals as sacrifices to Nergal, the sun God. This Mesopotamian god ruled the underworld and was known as the deity of war and pestilence.

Of all the prey sought out by the King and his royal party, the most prestigious was the lion. Mounted in his chariot, the king would pursue the lion attempting to bring him down with his bow or spear. Once the lion was hurt and immobile, the king would step down from his chariot and complete the job with his sword. One must consider the fact that ancient art depicting royalty was meant to please the king, so its not clear just how active a role the king may have played in the hunt.

On display at the British Museum is a wall relief of Ashurbanipal, an Assyrian king, who is depcted riding on horseback with bow rasied. He is hunting wild donkeys which at the time were considered a nuisance. The act of thinning the heard of asses was considered a noble and worthy pursuit for the king. Ashurbanipal was the last of the great Assyrian kings. While he ruled a time of cultural and military dominance, the empire fell into oblivion only a few decades after his death.

Other wall reliefs suggest that the hunting of lions was such a popular sport, that the regional lion population was diminished. Lions were imported in from other regions and release for the purpose of hunting. This conclusion can be drawn from some Assyrian wall reliefs that show a lion being released from the cage.

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