War and the ancient Near East

The phenomenon of war is richly and abundantly attested in various facets in the ancient Near East. This project relies primarily on written sources, which, while offering substantial material, is largely or entirely silent on certain aspects. For example, there is a complete lack of military theoretical literature. There are numerous other texts of vastly different textual genres that may be consulted on the topic of war, though each has their own special peculiarities and often do not offer what is expected. Not a few ancient Near Eastern kings presented themselves as military victors but on the basis of their inscriptions it is not possible to reconstruct even one single battle of this very long epoch.

The objective of the project is to illustrate long-term lines of development and situate this ancient near eastern epoch within the larger framework of military history in general. Specific examples are used to illustrate forms of conflict, their causes and inducements, as well as warfare on a strategic, operational, and tactical level. Significant changes and turning points serve as orientational anchors, such as the success of the bow, the types of chariots and their changing role especially with the advent of cavalry, the domestication of the camel, and the increasingly common use of iron.

A significant role is placed on the coexistence of settled and non-settled people in view of war organisation and war economics. Considerable space will also be given to contemporary perceptions of the phenomenon of war itself, experiencing and coping with armed conflicts, evaluating organised violence as a means to an end, as well as the perspective of war victims.