Old Assyrian period

Old Assyrian period ālu Aššur
c. 2025 BC–c. 1364 BC[a]
Assur Show map of Near East Assur Show map of Iraq Location of Assur in modern Iraq
Capital	Assur[b]
Common languages	Akkadian, Sumerian and Amorite
Religion	Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Government	Monarchy
Notable kings
• c. 2025 BC	Puzur-Ashur I (first)
• c. 1974–1935 BC	Erishum I
• c. 1920–1881 BC	Sargon I
• c. 1808–1776 BC	Shamshi-Adad I
• c. 1700–1691 BC	Bel-bani
• c. 1521–1498 BC	Puzur-Ashur III
• c. 1390–1364 BC	Eriba-Adad I (last)
Legislature	Ālum
Historical era	Bronze Age
• Assur becomes independent from the Third Dynasty of Ur	c. 2025 BC
• Conquest by Shamshi-Adad I	c. 1808 BC
• Collapse of Shamshi-Adad's kingdom	c. 1776–1765 BC
• Foundation of the Adaside dynasty	c. 1700 BC
• Subjugation under Mitanni	c. 1430–1360 BC
• End of the reign of Eriba-Adad I	c. 1364 BC[a]
Preceded by Succeeded by Early Assyrian period Middle Assyrian Empire
Today part of	Iraq

The Old Assyrian period was the second stage of Assyrian history, covering the history of the city of Assur from its rise as an independent city-state under Puzur-Ashur I c. 2025 BC^[c] to the foundation of a larger Assyrian territorial state after the accession of Ashur-uballit I c. 1363 BC,^[d] which marks the beginning of the succeeding Middle Assyrian period. The Old Assyrian period is marked by the earliest known evidence of the development of a distinct Assyrian culture, separate from that of southern Mesopotamia^[7][8] and was a geopolitically turbulent time when Assur several times fell under the control or suzerainty of foreign kingdoms and empires. The period is also marked with the emergence of a distinct Assyrian dialect of the Akkadian language, a native Assyrian calendar and Assur for a time becoming a prominent site for international trade.^[9]

For most of the Old Assyrian period, Assur was a minor city-state with little political and military influence. In contrast to Assyrian kings of later periods, the kings in the Old Assyrian period were just one of the prominent leading officials in the city's administration and normally used the style Išši'ak Aššur, which translates to "governor (on behalf) of (the god) Ashur", rather than šar (king). The kings presided over the city's actual administrative body, the Ālum (city assembly), which was made up of prominent and influential members among Assur's populace.^[10] Though lacking in military and political might, Assur was an important economic center in northern Mesopotamia. From the time of Erishum I (c. 1974–1935 BC) until the late 19th century BC, the city was a hub in a large trading network that spanned from the Zagros Mountains in the east to central Anatolia in the west. During their time as prominent traders the Assyrians founded a number of trading colonies at various sites in the trading network, such as Kültepe.

The first Assyrian royal dynasty, founded by Puzur-Ashur I c. 2025 BC came to an end when the city was captured by the foreign Amorite conqueror Shamshi Adad I in c. 1808 BC. Shamshi-Adad ruled from the city Shubat-Enlil and established a short-lived kingdom, sometimes called the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia, that collapsed after his death in c. 1776 BC. Events after Shamshi-Adad's death until the beginning of the Middle Assyrian period are poorly known, but there appears to initially have been some decades of frequent conflict in Assur and the surrounding region, not only between different states and empires, such as the Old Babylonian Empire, Mari and Eshnunna, but also between different Assyrian dynasties and nobles who vied for power over the city. This period culminated in the re-establishment of Assur as an independent city-state under the Adaside dynasty c. 1700 BC. Assur became a vassal of the Mitanni kingdom c. 1430 BC but broke free in the early 14th century after Mitanni suffered a series of defeats by the Hittites and began its transition into a large territorial state under a series of warrior-kings.

Through extensive cuneiform records, amounting to over 22,000 clay tablets found at the Old Assyrian trading colony at Kültepe, much information can be gathered about the culture, language and society of the Old Assyrian period. As in other societies of the Ancient Near East, the Old Assyrians practiced slavery, though confusion resulting from the terminology used in the texts might mean that many, but not all, of the supposed slaves were actually free servants.^[11] Though men and women had different duties and responsibilities, they had more or less the same legal rights, with both being allowed to inherit property, make wills, initiate divorce proceedings and participate in trade.^[12] The chief deity worshipped in the Old Assyrian period was, like in later periods, the Assyrian national deity Ashur, who had probably originated in the preceding Early Assyrian period as a deified personification of the city of Assur itself.^[13]

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