Chapter 6. The contribution of pottery production in reconstructing aspects of local rural economy at the northern frontier of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

The analysis of changes to the archaeological remains of ancient societies can provide a valuable means of observing the impact of empires upon the social, political and ideological development of a region. In particular, the material evidence, when read in conjunction with the written record, can reveal much about the economic profile of a region and the way in which that profile was determined and altered by the needs and demands of newcomers and the interaction between local and external components of that society. The purpose of the present article is to explore how the archaeological record can contribute to our knowledge of the economic organization of the northern regions at the time of Neo-Assyrian Empire. In doing so particular attention will be shown to the evidence for wheel- and hand-shaped techniques in pottery production as well as the presence of certain types of vessel distributed over the region.