Throughout history, the conquering of lands has held a large contribution in the development of various civilizations. The remnants of these conquests have celebrated the feats of rulers and their achievements. When military campaigns occurred frequently in the ancient Middle East, the victories of rulers have been recorded through inscriptions, artwork, and stone monuments. Rulers often recorded their conquests as a way to glorify their victory which helped for multiple purposes such as establishing power for both the ruler and his people. In any kind of campaign, there is always the intention to achieve a particular objective. The record of conquests are reminders of that objective being achieved. King Shalmaneser III of Assyria “erected…a …show more content…
The artwork shown in documents 3 and 4 reflect those values and are a reliable record of historical events. Documents 3 and 4 are primary sources because they were made by scribes and artists of that time. Primary sources is helpful in learning information such as a civilization’s traditions or religion. Document 3 depicts Egyptian soldiers in battle during the reign of Pharaohs Ramses III. Document 4 depicts Assyrian soldiers in battle during the reign of King Shalmaneser III. From these two documents, we can learn what type of weapons soldiers used in battle. Egyptian soldiers used chariots drawn by horses as a method of travel and bow-and-arrow for attacking. The armor that they are wearing also include a headpiece which is probably to show a person’s class or social status. Document 4 can be analyzed to show that the common weapons of Assyrian soldiers included a shield and a spear. In addition, I infer that Document 1 and 2 are translated inscriptions found on ancient artifacts because rulers often recorded their conquests and military campaigns through inscriptions and various artwork. Therefore, Document 1 and 2 are primary sources because it is an artifact created by humans of that time. Since these four documents are primary sources, they are also reliable records of historical