Three forgotten kings could rewrite the history of ancient Assyria
Researchers have identified three previously unknown Assyrian kings by analyzing cuneiform tablets and historical monuments. This discovery suggests the official Assyrian King List is incomplete and that early Neo-Assyrian political history was more complex than previously documented.
Why it matters
Revising historical records provides a more accurate understanding of ancient power structures and political instability.
For about a century, scholars studying the Assyrian Empire have treated the Assyrian King List (AKL) as the standard record of the kingdom's rulers and the order in which they reigned, particularly during the later phases of Assyrian history.
A recent study in the Journal of Cuneiform Studies , titled "Three New Kings of Assyria," argues that the AKL may not be as complete or politically neutral as researchers once assumed. Alexander Johannes Edmonds and Eckart Frahm identify three rulers who do not appear on the list but whose reigns can be reconstructed from other surviving evidence.
Their findings suggest that "early Neo-Assyrian political history was much messier, but also more interesting, than has so far been recognized."
The first overlooked ruler identified by Edmonds and Frahm used the name Tiglath-pileser, apparently adopting the name of an earlier Assyrian king.
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