Madison Scarlassara

Dr. Alec Thomson

History 134 - Ancient World History
09 October 2016
Assyrian Protective Gear
Assyria began as a small community around the city of Ashur. The Assyrian empire was
located on the Tigris River above Babylon. The people native to Assyria, called Assyrians, were
fierce warriors and ruled with cruelty and force. Throughout the years Assyria grew to become
one of the most feared empires in ancient Middle East. They overthrew Babylon in 911 BCE and
by the 7th century gained land from Egypt to Persia. When conquering other empires the
Assyrian warriors forced the cities to pay a tribute to the Assyrian king to grant them protection.
This was one way the Assyrian empire gained its wealth. The money from the tribute went
towards developing the military tactics and weaponry that allowed the fearsome empire to
expand even more. The Hittites were the first civilization to use iron in warfare. Iron is much
stronger than the generally used bronze because it was heated and forged into a shape rather than
a cast. This made iron weapons less brittle and more reliable in time of war. Iron was also more
abundant in the Middle East then copper or tin was. By the 8th century the Assyrians had
completely mastered the act of forging and smelting iron into weapons of war. This assisted also
them immensely in their expansion. (Mark) [i]
A chariot is defined as a two-wheeled cart pulled by two to four horses. Higher-ranking
generals or a king were able to give swift orders from the chariot to the troops. Chariots created
huge holes in enemy lines that allowed more troops to advance forward. This was accomplished
by driving the war machine through lines of troops. There would be a driver of the chariot and

one or two more men on board, armed with a long spear or bow. The Assyrian moved the wheels
from the center to the back of the cart giving the vehicle less traction and more agility. The
Assyrians were the first empire to have a Calvary. The Cavalry was split into two groups, light
and heavy. The light Cavalry consisted of men riding small, lithe mounts and using a bow as a
weapon. The heavy Cavalry riders wore waist length iron armor with a long lance and iron
shield. They rode larger horses and stabbed at the opponent with the lance instead of spearing
completely through them. (Williamson)[ii]
The Assyrian heavy infantry or Royal Guard was thought to have fought in a phalanx.
They were equipped with a doubled bladed spear and iron short sword for battle. They wore
lamellar armor, an iron helmet and held a small iron shield. Lamellar armor is made of small
rectangular iron plates laced together horizontally. The helmet worn was called a conical iron
helmet. It rose to a point above the wearer's head. Throughout the years advancements such as
earpieces were added. The conical shield was made from a sheet of leather stretched over a
wicker base with an iron circle in the middle. (Historical Evolution of arms and armors) [iii]
Archers in the Assyrian army wore a shorter coat of chain mail than the heavy infantry did. The
archers were also equipped with the conical iron helmet and a convex shield. This rectangular
shield was curved backwards to protect the archer from long distance arrow attacks. The shield
was long and similar to a pavise. It was made from tightly bound reeds, oil, and some metal. The
convex shield was later modified with a row of spikes so that it could also be used as a weapon.
The type of bow used by the archers varied greatly since the empire was so large. The Assyrians
were the first to invent a quiver that could hold more than fifty arrows. Some special arrows held
a unique tip that allowed them to catch fire when released from the bow. (Williamson)[ii]

The Assyrians also had special siege equipment. A siege is a military tactic that involves
the army surrounding the city or town and either blockading them in, cutting off necessary
supplies, or forcing their way in. The Assyrians used a battering ram to force entry on some
neighboring communities. The battering ram was a large wooden device covered in damp cloth
or leather so that it wouldn't catch fire. Attached to the front were four wooden spears with a
razor sharp iron tip. The battering ram was effective in knocking down wooden structures.
During the siege the Assyrians also used a siege tower. The siege tower was a square frame on
four wheels that was elevated above the ground. The archers would then stand on this to shoot
arrows over walls from a higher vantage point. Iron covering was later added to the tower so that
it would not catch fire. (May)[iv]
Shepards first designed the sling to scare away predators from their flock. The Assyrians
used the Shepards ancient design to make modify the sling into a deadly weapon. The sling was
easy to make and distribute in mass production. The middle of the sling was a flat piece of worn
leather and on either sides where braided cords. The iron ball would be place on the leather and
the slinger would swing the device a couple of times and hurl a dense iron ball at the opponent.
The disadvantage of the sling was that it required training to be used properly. (Fletcher)[v]
The Assyrians conquered most of Ancient Middle East in a very short period of time. That was
due to their impressive military strengths that consisted of a large army, impressive tactics,
strategies and most importantly the new advancements on armor and weapons. The Assyrians
were the first to use iron in their armor to make it much stronger and easier to make. Every
soldier in the army had some degree of iron armor on and at least one iron weapon. The
Assyrians were a deadly force to be reckoned with. Their army consisted of iron-covered
chariots, archers, slingers, heavy and light infantry and heavy and light Calvary. The conical iron

helmet, convex shield and many other pieces of armor protected them from harm. They applied
their advanced military technology of taking over nearby empires to spread their culture.

Endnotes
[i] http://www.ancient.eu/Assyrian_Warfare/
This source gives me information on the Assyrians and where they were located geographically.
It also gives information on the Hittites and their use of iron.
[ii] https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2016/02/29/iron-and-empire-the-rise-of-assyria/
This article gives information on the different types of Calvary that was used and how chariots
were used in times of war. It also talks about the archers and the unique type of arrows they use.
This article also gave information on what type of armor the archers wore.
[iii] https://web.wpi.edu/academics/me/IMDC/IQP%20Website/WAsiaFiles/800bc600bcFiles/assyrian-empire.html
This article talks about the different types of armor used by the Assyrians. The article explains
how they used doubled bladed spear, iron short sword, lamellar armor, and the conical iron shield
in battle. It explains what they were made of and who wore what.
[iv] http://classroom.synonym.com/kinds-weapons-did-ancient-assyrians-use-9844.html
This article mainly focuses on the Assyrian siege equipment. It explains how and when they used
a siege tower and a battering ram. It also gives information on the advancements made on these
two items.
[v] http://www.bible-archaeology.info/slings.htm
This source gives information on the sling that the Assyrians used. It talks about who was the
first to use it and the advantages and disadvantages of using a sling. The article also explains
how and when it was used the components used to make one.
Bibliography
Fletcher, Elizibeth. Slings and Slingers n.d.
"Historical Evolution of arms and armors." Assyrian Empire n.d.
Mark, Joushua J. "Assyrian Warfare." 11 August 2014: 1.
May, Andrew. "What kind of weapons did the ancient assyrians use?" n.d.
Williamson, Forschungsmitarbeiter Mitch. "Weapons and Warfare." Iron and Empire: The rise of
Assyria 29 Febuary 2016.

Endnotes