Although archaeological excavations reveal that the land of the Assyrians had been inhabited as early as 5000 B.C., it was not until the reign of King Sargon of Akkad in 2371 B.C. that the Assyrians first rose to glory. Under Sargon, the kingdom rapidly expanded north to the city of Ashur and as far west as the Mediterranean, controlled by a central government based in Akkad. By 1813 B.C., King Shamshi-Adad I united the cities of Ashur, Nineveh, and Arbel into one cohesive administrative unit. These three cities, as well as Arrapkha and Kalhu (later known as Nimrud), form the historical core of the Assyrian Kingdom which would remain a credible force throughout the Mediterranean world for the next millennium. While various parts of Assyrian territory were annexed for brief periods of time by neighboring civilizations, this core remained firmly intact. The Assyrians experienced another Golden Age, lasting from the 9th until the 7th Century B.C. (this period is referred to as “Neo-Assyrian”). During this period, the kingdom grew to its largest extent, encompassing the lands from parts of modern Iran to the Mediterranean, from Anatolia to Egypt. However, it proved difficult even for the powerful Assyrian monarchs to maintain control over this vast territory for very long. By the end of the 7th Century, the Assyrian Kingdom began to collapse under the weight of assaults from the Babylonians to the south and the newly founded Medes Kingdom to the east. In 612 B.C., Nimrud burned for the second time in three years, followed by the sacking of Ashur and Nineveh, effectively ending Assyrian control of the ancient Near East.

This head is broken off from a statuette at the neck, of which more is preserved at the front than at the back. The general shape is well achieved, and the features are naturalistically rendered, with a straight nose, big eyes, a moustache on top of the lips and hanging down at each side of the lips. The beard is rendered in curls and runs down from the bottom of the hat to the lower neck, where the break occurs, completely covering the chin. An elaborate earring hangs from each ear. A tight fitting hat rests on top of the head, with a conical point, the whole slanting a little bit backwards. The lower parts of the hat would have been covered with decoration. At the center of the back, the head of what may be a man appears, within a welter of other items, not now clear. The decoration continues without interruption to the edge of the hat, and continues all around.