Fragments of power. The use of pottery and the reconnaissance of the presence of the Middle Assyrian state in the archaeological record

Propaganda in material culture is a misused and over-used term, primarily when referring to studies about ancient political entities. This is the case of the Middle Assyrian state, which has been analyzed and perceived by scholars as a centralized form of governance. This analysis is very much influenced by the apparent standardization in material culture and the state’s structures.1 Recent studies show that this interpretation and conception are now obsolete; therefore, they must be reviewed and reassessed.2 Uniformity in ceramic material is seen as a form of propaganda by the central government, a self-confirmation of its expansion and power. The analysis of the historical and political processes behind the Assyrian State’s functioning and the ceramic evidence shows a different character of the state, which had control over certain territories, named as provinces, but did not exercise state control over the production of such goods as vessels. In this contribution, I am going to focus on the overall concept of standardization on one of the components of the Middle Assyrian material culture, i.e., pottery, and its connection to the actual political expansion of the state, regarding new studies that deal with the impact of this political actor in the material culture.