Iconography as expansionism: the Neo-Assyrian Empire and the ideological conquest of frontiers

Since the formation period of the Middle Assyrian Kingdom until the apogee of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, iconography constituted a powerful political and ideological mean through which the royal power ratified possession of new dominions and celebrated its leading role as creator of the civilized world of Assur. In this context, rock art turns out to be one of the preferential expression channels of Assyrian kingship, with its propagandistic aims and political meanings. Through the analysis of the geographical location, iconography, religious and symbolic significance of the Assyrian rock reliefs, this paper aims to reconstruct norms and forms of shaping the empire’s territory from the core to its frontiers, transforming also liminal and often challenged areas into true “Assyrian” landscapes. In the presentation, the development of rock reliefs during the Sargonid period will be discussed in detail