Technological Advancements Of The Assyrians

Despite their diplomatic and mercantile qualities, the Assyrians had the most capable and savage military of their time. Through technological advancements and sheer ruthlessness, they built the largest empire the ancient world had ever seen.

One of the most important technological advancements they made was using iron for weaponry instead of bronze. Iron has a few advantages over bronze. One being that because bronze is an alloy of copper and tin whereas iron is a naturally occurring element, iron weaponry is cheaper to produce in large quantities because you only need a single source. You can also obtain a tactical advantage over your enemy by cutting off one of their sources of tin or copper, and leaving them unable to produce more weapons. Iron is also less dense than bronze. This means that the same size weapon made of iron will be lighter than the one made out of bronze. Lighter weapons mean reduced fatigue and greater agility for soldiers on the battlefield.
One piece that was particularly useful was the jackboot, a knee high combat boot made from leather. Jackboots had thick soles with protruding nails in the bottom in order to provide better traction on the battlefield. Iron plates were also woven into the leather to act as shin guards. This protective clothing and armor gave the Assyrians a clear advantage on the battlefield. One instance was during a march against the Urartu in which the Assyrians easily traversed mountain passes that were so heavily covered in snow, the Urartu were not capable of guarding them. Historian Paul Kriwaczek, describes them as the first “All-weather, all year