La campagna di Assurbanipal contro gli Arabi: proposta di lettura delle dinamiche di una battaglia in campo aperto

The study examines visual and written evidences of the military campaign Ashurbanipal conducted against the Arab tribes in the desert (in relation with the Babylonian campaign against his brother Shamash-shum-ukin). The bas-reliefs of room L in the North Palace at Nineveh do represent a rare example of open field battles in the Assyrian period (in fact sieges are the preferred military option to conquer an enemy city), showing the use of infantry, cavalry and chariotry at the same time, with distinguished and complementary operations that aim at the defat of the enemy.