Fortified Regional Networks in Urartu and Assyria in the Early 1st Millennium BCE

FAIN: FT-286052-22

Tiffany C. Earley-Spadoni
University of Central Florida Board of Trustees (Orlando, FL 32816-8005)

Research and writing leading to a book that examine Urartu's regional networks and the expansion of city states in the ancient Middle East.

While the ancient Near East is known for its empires, the creation of large and enduring states required centuries of trial and error. The thesis of the book is that fortified regional networks were among the innovations that allowed early states to expand their dominion beyond their city walls, and to annex and administer progressively large territories. The book contributes to humanities scholarship by arguing that fortified regional networks were used as imperial tools rather than simply being defensive in nature. The proposal requests funding to complete final revisions and other late-stage writing activities. The manuscript is complete and under advance contract with the University Press of Colorado.

Associated Products

Landscapes of Warfare: Urartu and Assyria in the Ancient Middle East (Book)
Title: Landscapes of Warfare: Urartu and Assyria in the Ancient Middle East
Author: Tiffany C. Earley-Spadoni
Abstract: Landscapes of Warfare offers an in-depth exploration of the Urartian empire, which occupied the highlands of present-day Turkey, Armenia, and Iran in the early first millennium BCE. Lesser known than its rival, the Neo-Assyrian empire, Urartu presents a unique case of imperial power distributed among mountain fortresses rather than centralized in cities. Through spatial analysis, the book demonstrates how systematic warfare, driven by imperial ambitions, shaped Urartian and Assyrian territories, creating symbolically and materially powerful landscapes.
Year: 2025
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
Type: Single author monograph
ISBN: 978-1-64642-68
Copy sent to NEH?: Yes

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