During the first millennium BCE, warfare with neighboring civilizations was a constant possibility. The only way a society would be safe would be by having an advantage over its attackers. The Assyrians found that advantage in the new technology of iron weapons. The Assyrian empire reached its height between the ninth and seventh centuries B.C.E., and although it would be in constant war with their various rivals, which included the Babylonians, Egyptians, and the Hittites, their military was much better equipped.1
By 800 B.C.E., the Assyrian army was ruthlessly conquering other territories with their use of iron weaponry, which was superior to the brittle bronze weapons that were still being used at the time. They adopted the Hittite’s technique of smelting iron and were the first to incorporate it in their variety of weapons. The process used involved extracting oxygen from metal ore using charcoal, leaving just the metal alone.2 Most of the iron produced at that time was used for making weapons for both short and long range, as well as armor for protection.
The short ranged weapons included iron swords, daggers, javelins, and spears.3 Iron swords were used for close combat and they gave the Assyrians a great advantage. Unlike their bronze sword counterparts, iron swords suffered less damage, and if bent, they were able to return to their original shape. The daggers were also sturdier and were used commonly on enemies. They were carefully crafted and modeled like combat knives, which were highly valued.4 The next two weapons are considered mid-ranged since they could be thrown if need be. Both spears and javelins were long pointed sticks. The spear was usually a wooden shaft with an iron spearhead and usually measured around five feet. They were used on opponents themselves, while the javelins were used to break their opponents’ shields or puncture their armor.
Other forms of weaponry included those that were long ranged. One of the two main long ranged weapons included the sling. A strong army included specialist slingers who could aim a sling bullet to fire up to 1300 feet.5 It was very practical due to its cheap production cost and lightweight structure. Many soldiers were stationed at a hill fort, and with these iron slings they were able to aim their slings better. The other weapon was the bow, which either used iron tipped arrows or flaming arrows, and they had a range of up to 700 yards.6
Finally, the Assyrian army used three main iron shields, all of which were superior to previous models that had been made of either bronze or wood. The most common shield was the round shield, which could sometimes contain embedded spikes. Another shield was the convex shield, which was similar to a rectangle in shape and could also include spikes to be used as a weapon if need be. Lastly, the conical shield, like its name, was cone-like in shape. 7
Due largely to the fact that the Assyrians were the first to incorporate iron into their daily lives, they were able to build a powerful army. Assyria is remembered for its strong military, improvements in weaponry, and numerous conquests, all of which would not have been made possible without the cheap yet efficient use of iron.
- John Marriott and Karen Radner, “Sustaining the Assyrian Army Among Friends and Enemies in 714 BCE,” Journal Of Cuneiform Studies 67 (2015): 129. ↵
- A. J. Arkell, “The Iron Age in the Sudan,” Current Anthropology 7, no. 4 (1966): 451-52. ↵
- Mark Healy and Angus McBride, The Ancient Assyrians (London: Osprey, 1991), 12. ↵
- Vagn Fabritius Buchwald, Iron and Steel in Ancient Times (Copenhagen: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, 2005), 63-65. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, January 2016, s.v. “Clubs, maces, and slings.” by Scott M. Rusch. ↵
- Salem Press Encyclopedia, January 2015, s.v. “War and Weapons in the Ancient World,” by Wilton Eckley. ↵
- A. J. Arkell, “The Iron Age in the Sudan,” Current Anthropology 7, no. 4 (1966): 451-52. ↵
35 comments
Diego Aguilera
Great article! I really enjoyed that it keep me engaged and didn’t have me wondering when it was going to end. It was very informative and interesting to read about how the Assyrian army created their weapons and the development of the variety of weapons used in the wars. Also I myself would love to do more research into the Assyrian army to see not only more weapons but maybe tactics in war that were used. I remember talking about stuff like this in class, so it was a good read.
Noah Bolhuis
Technological advancements have been and always will a key difference maker in a nation’s military. We, in America, are as technologically advanced as possible right now, and that gives us the edge in most or all military encounters. This also allows you to not require as many numbers in soldiers, as you can allow the new technology to take over and counter the other country’s numbers. This was well written in this article, as the Assyrians came into nearly every battle with a decided advantage. I can’t imagine the difference an iron tool makes over a bronze or any other alloy of tool, but it must have been a major upgrade.
Nathan Alba
It is crazy to think that an advancement in weaponry can benefit a civilization so much. How much of an upper hand it can give a society. Look at the US with the atomic bomb. That new weaponry ended World War II. Maybe this just goes to show that advancements in weaponry and technology are what lead to a society or civilization establishing and remaining in power. The Assyrians used their advancements to clearly take control, and I believe it is the same with many other civilizations and societies that have since followed.
Diego Aguilera
Great article! I really enjoyed that it keep me engaged and didn’t have me wondering when it was going to end. It was very informative and interesting to read about how the Assyrian army created their weapons and the development of the variety of weapons used in the wars. Also I myself would love to do more research into the Assyrian army to see not only more weapons but maybe tactics in war that were used.
Jose Fernandez
I found this article really helpful! I am actually learning about the Assyrians in class and this really helped me. I think this topic is very interesting because they innovated weaponry and changed wars and conflicts at that time. I would recommend this article to anyone who is learning about them in class! It presents the most important facts and it is very structured.
Luke Lopez
This was a very informative article on the Assyrian’s usage of iron for weaponry. I did not know that they used the iron for various things such as iron swords, daggers, javelins, and spears. Assyria was one of the first civilizations to incorporate iron in their every day lives, and this led them to boast a strong army. This was a very good article.
Lorenzo Rivera
Overall, this was a very informative and well written article. It is amazing to see how past peoples used to value different materials and depended on them heavily as a way of life. Iron, which is fairly cheap and easily accessible nowadays provided the Assyrian army with such a powerful advantage in comparison to their opponents. The fact that they discovered this metal so long ago, and we still find use for it today shows their intellect, along with the simple fact that their discovery changed the course of human evolution as we know it today.
Brandon Martinez
Learning about this in class was interesting especially how one simple item could change the world. The article helps by filling in the details on how the Assyrians used iron to help them conquer land and win battles over their enemies. It would be interesting to know what the Assyrians would’ve accomplished without the use of iron. The article is well written and interesting to read.
Johnanthony Hernandez
Interesting article, I didn’t know that the Assyrians adopted the Hittite’s smelting techniques and used those techniques to be the first to incorporate in their weapons and armor. Nor did I know that the way the adopted a rival empires metal working would allow them to ruthlessly keep expanding their empire through dominating their rivals through superior weapons in such a short time.
Brandon Martinez
The discovery of iron made a huge impact in history. With the discovery of this metal countries and empires were able to craft much stronger and durable items everything from weapons, armor, and buildings. Iron changed his warfare was fought due to the need of new strategies, and iron changed the economy now creating a new piece of currency that only the wealthy could have and it let people make businesses mining the ore.