Bone and ivory working at Assur

Abstract

The site of Assur produced some 700 finds of worked and unworked bone and ivory during the initial German excavations. They received attention in a special study by the author as part of the Assur-Project that sought to restudy the 1903–1914 excavations at Assur. In accordance with the extensive occupation at the site, the finds of ivory and bone range from the late 3rd millennium BC to the Parthian period and cover all types of objects — from figural carvings, through decorative inlays, to utilitarian items. For stylistic reasons, some of the objects are clearly recognizable as imports from the Levant or Babylonia, but others are carved in Assyrian style, which hints at a local manufacture. Moreover, finds of unworked and semi-worked material, blanks and cut-offs suggest active workshops for bone and ivory in Assur, at least during the Middle Assyrian period. This paper pulls together the evidence in order to put forward the suggestion of bone and ivory craftsmen in Assyria during the late 2nd millennium BC.