Skip to content

featuring historical research, writing, and media at st. mary's university

  • World History

    World History

    Menu
    • World History
    • Pre-Classical History (to 600 BCE)
    • Classical History (600 BCE-600 CE)
    • Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE)
    • Early Modern History (1492-1789)
    • Modern History (1789-1914)
    • Global History (1900-present)

    From the Ancient World

    The Battle of Zama: Rome's Vengeance

    Posted by Davis Nickle12/01/2020

    From the Modern World

    The Holy See Takes On The Fight Against Climate Change

    Posted by Victor Rodriguez11/30/2020

    Regional Histories

    Menu
    • African and African American Studies
    • Latin American Studies
  • US History

    Early America

    Menu
    • US-Three Worlds Meet (to 1620)
    • US-Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
    • US-Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
    • US-Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
    • US-Civil War & Reconstruction (1850-1877)

    Deco Districts and Community Identity: Historic Designation and Preservation of Art Deco Architecture

    Posted by Edgar Velazquez Reynald05/31/2019

    ¿Importa el idioma que hablas?

    Posted by Kimberly Parker11/01/2020

    A Forgotten Finals: Bill Russell, and the 1966 NBA Finals

    Posted by Kaleb Werku11/12/2019

    Fortnite and Video Game Violence

    Posted by Elizabeth Maguire12/08/2019

    Remembering Ranchos De Las Cabras: The Forgotten Outpost of Mission Espada

    Posted by Shine Trabucco05/07/2019

    Raping and Killing: "Casualties of War" in Vietnam

    Posted by Doan Mai12/14/2019

    Metallica: The Tragedy Overseas

    Posted by Isaiah Torres05/08/2019

    From Being a Christian and Ex-Military to being a Serial Killer: Israel Keyes

    Posted by Adrianna Hernandez10/31/2020

    When An Invisible Threat Took Over the World: COVID-19

    Posted by Aracely Beltran05/27/2020

    The Murder of Kitty Genovese

    Posted by Stephanie Cerda11/14/2019

    The Notorious RBG

    Posted by Alicia Guzman04/07/2019

    Los Beneficios de los Programas Bilingües en los Estados Unidos

    Posted by Yamilet Muñoz12/02/2020

    Plague! Plague! Plague!

    Posted by Jacqueline Mendez12/10/2019

    The Prosecutor Who Took On The Dream Team

    Posted by Ariana Brown11/26/2019

    Billie Jean King: Ruler of the Court

    Posted by Charli Delmonico12/09/2019

    Hispanophobia: La Discriminación contra las Personas que Hablan Español

    Posted by Cristian Maldonado12/22/2020

    Phineas Gage: An Ordinary Man

    Posted by Stephanie Cerda10/02/2019

    The Hidden War at Home: VA Negligence Increasing Veteran Suicide

    Posted by Madeline Chandler11/03/2020

    The Lone Star State: The Reality of Gun Legislation In Texas

    Posted by Sofia Almanzan03/30/2020

    Breaking Silence or Just Speaking Louder?: The Story of Larry Nassar and his 499 Victims

    Posted by Paola Arellano04/07/2019

    Martín de Alarcón: The Forgotten Founder of San Antonio

    Posted by Danielle A. Garza05/13/2019

    World's Best Boss: Steve Carell and His Journey to Becoming Michael Scott

    Posted by Cristianna Tovar12/10/2019

    To Love A Serial Killer

    Posted by Krystal Rodriguez04/17/2019

    Claudette Colvin: The Woman Who Wasn’t Rosa Parks

    Posted by Abilene Solano10/27/2020

    Perseverance in Preservation: The Hundred-year Historical Development of Woodlawn Lake Park

    Posted by Mario Sosa05/13/2019

    A Hero’s Burden: COVID-19, Mental Health, and the life of Dr. Lorna Breen

    Posted by Jarred Deptawa11/09/2020

    A Company of Heroes: The Story of the Band of Brothers

    Posted by Amanda Gutierrez11/30/2020

    Fuel for His Pen: The Two Consecutive Plane Accidents of Ernest Hemingway

    Posted by Felipe Macias10/08/2019

    The Trials that Started the American Revolution: John Adams

    Posted by Andrea Degollado04/26/2020

    Chadwick Boseman: A King On And Off The Throne

    Posted by Donte Joseph11/07/2020

    Contemporary America

    Menu
    • US-Industrial United States (1870-1900)
    • US-Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
    • US-Great Depression & WWII (1929-1945)
    • US-Postwar United States (1945-early 1970s)
    • US-Contemporary United States (1968-present)
  • Themes

    SPICE Categories

    Specialty Categories

    Special Themes

    Menu
    • Social History
    • Political History
    • Environmental History
    • Cultural History
    • Economic History
    Menu
    • Art History
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Gender Studies
    • Human Rights
    • Public Health and Medicine
    • International Relations
    • Linguistics
    Menu
    • Military History
    • Music
    • People
    • Psychology
    • Religion
    • Science & Technology
    • Sports
    Menu
    • Catholic Heritage
    • The Year 1968
    • COVID-19
    • Social Justice
    • Spanish Language
  • Showcase

    Showcase Editions

    • Vol 1 – 2016
      • Vol 1 No 1 Aug-Sep 2016
      • Vol 1 No 2 Oct-Nov 2016
    • Vol 2 – 2017
      • Vol 2 No 1 Jan-Feb 2017
      • Vol 2 No 2 Mar-Apr 2017
      • Vol 2 No 3 Aug-Sep 2017
      • Vol 2 No 4 Oct-Nov 2017
    • Vol 3 – 2018
      • Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Feb 2018
      • Vol 3 No 2 Mar-Apr 2018
      • Vol 3 No 3 Aug-Sep 2018
      • Vol 3 No 4 Oct-Nov 2018
    • Vol 4 – 2019
      • Vol 4 No 1 Jan-Feb 2019
      • Vol 4 No 2 Mar-Apr 2019
      • Vol 4 No 3 Aug-Sep 2019
      • Vol 4 No 4 Oct-Nov 2019
    • Vol 5 – 2020
      • Vol 5 No 1 Jan-Feb 2020
      • Vol 5 No 2 Mar-Apr 2020
      • Vol 5 No 3 Aug-Sep 2020
    Menu
    • Vol 1 – 2016
      • Vol 1 No 1 Aug-Sep 2016
      • Vol 1 No 2 Oct-Nov 2016
    • Vol 2 – 2017
      • Vol 2 No 1 Jan-Feb 2017
      • Vol 2 No 2 Mar-Apr 2017
      • Vol 2 No 3 Aug-Sep 2017
      • Vol 2 No 4 Oct-Nov 2017
    • Vol 3 – 2018
      • Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Feb 2018
      • Vol 3 No 2 Mar-Apr 2018
      • Vol 3 No 3 Aug-Sep 2018
      • Vol 3 No 4 Oct-Nov 2018
    • Vol 4 – 2019
      • Vol 4 No 1 Jan-Feb 2019
      • Vol 4 No 2 Mar-Apr 2019
      • Vol 4 No 3 Aug-Sep 2019
      • Vol 4 No 4 Oct-Nov 2019
    • Vol 5 – 2020
      • Vol 5 No 1 Jan-Feb 2020
      • Vol 5 No 2 Mar-Apr 2020
      • Vol 5 No 3 Aug-Sep 2020
  • About

    Course Readings

    Article Indexes

    About Us

    Menu
    • Course Readings – SC 3300 – Nash
    • Course Readings – SMC 1301 – Wieck
    • Course Readings – PO 4334 – Dr Celine
    • Course Readings _ PO 3365 – Dr Celine
    Menu
    • Course Readings – HS 2321 – Whitener
    • Course Readings – HS 2322 – Whitener
    • Course Readings – SMC 1301 – Whitener
    Menu
    • Our Article/Author Index
    • Award Winning Articles
    Menu
    • Our StMU History Media Project
    • Our Faculty Consultants
    • Our Writers
    • Contact Us
  • Descriptive Article, Military History, Political History, Pre-Classical History (to 600 BCE), World History
  • September 17, 2016

The Usage of Iron for Assyrian Weaponry

The powerful Assyrian Army was known for their ruthless conquering styles | Courtesy of realmofhistory.com
The powerful Assyrian Army was known for their ruthless conquering styles | Courtesy of realmofhistory.com
Diana Moreno-Gutierrez

Diana Moreno-Gutierrez

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.

The Assyrian army was known for their usage of advanced iron weaponry which included the bow and arrow. | Courtesy of realmofhistory.com
King Ashurbanipal, who was a powerful Assyrian King, is pictured on  his horse with a strong iron bow and arrow, which helped the Assyrians defeat many rival armies | Courtesy of realmofhistory.com

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.

  1. John Marriott and Karen Radner, “Sustaining the Assyrian Army Among Friends and Enemies in 714 BCE,” Journal Of Cuneiform Studies 67 (2015): 129. ↵
  2. A. J. Arkell, “The Iron Age in the Sudan,” Current Anthropology 7, no. 4 (1966): 451-52. ↵
  3. Mark Healy and Angus McBride, The Ancient Assyrians (London: Osprey, 1991), 12. ↵
  4.  Vagn Fabritius Buchwald, Iron and Steel in Ancient Times (Copenhagen: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab, 2005), 63-65. ↵
  5.  Salem Press Encyclopedia,  January 2016, s.v. “Clubs, maces, and slings.” by Scott M. Rusch. ↵
  6. Salem Press Encyclopedia, January 2015, s.v. “War and Weapons in the Ancient World,” by Wilton Eckley. ↵
  7. A. J. Arkell, “The Iron Age in the Sudan,” Current Anthropology 7, no. 4 (1966): 451-52. ↵

Tags from the story

  • Assyrian Empire, iron weapons

Share this post

Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on print
Share on email
Diana Moreno-Gutierrez

Diana Moreno-Gutierrez

Author Portfolio Page

The Emergence of The Great Pyramid of Giza

The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza has been a great mystery for many

Read More »

This Post Has 32 Comments

  1. Avatar
    Samson Pullattu 6 Sep 2020 Reply

    It is interesting how someone can just stumble onto the discovery of how to make something. In the case of iron, someone had to discover the effect of removing the oxygen out of metal ore by smelting it with charcoal. Granted, it took several centuries for humanity to reach that realization, but the process is so random, that I am surprised we had discovered it at all. I cannot imagine the feeling of Assyrian’s enemies when they were being demolished by them using weapons and armor made from a strange substance. They must have thought it was dark magic or some curse had befallen on them.

  2. Avatar
    Alondra Lozano 25 Mar 2020 Reply

    This was very interesting! I did not know that the Assyrians used to use so many weapons using iron back then. It was very informative and when you mentioned the sling shot it reminded me about David and Goliath from the bible. But the story was different because David knocked down Goliath with a stone, and the Assyrians used the iron to defeat their enemies at war.

Comments navigation

Previous commentPrevious

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

StMU History Media

A Student Organization of St. Mary's University of San Antonio Texas

Sponsors

  • College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, St. Mary's University
  • Department of History, St. Mary's University
  • Department of Political Science, St. Mary's University
  • Center for Catholic Studies, St. Mary's University

Support Services

  • The Learning Assistance Center, St. Mary's University
  • Louis J. Blume Library Services, St. Mary's University
  • STRIVE Career Center, St. Mary's University
  • Academic Technology Services, St. Mary's University

About

  • About Us
  • Our Authors
  • Our Archive
  • Contacts

© All rights reserved

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest