Le scene di lotta come emblemi di potere nella Dinastia di Akkad alla nascita del “Primo Impero Universale”

The transition between Early Dynastic and Akkadian Periods brought deep changes to the Ancient Near Eastern culture and politics. The expansion of the boundaries and the complexity of relations with neighboring populations involved a new kind of kinship, centered on a warrior, valorous and almost heroic king. Epic cycles started, telling about the extraordinary deeds of Akkadian kings, described almost exclusively as invincible warriors. The repercussions of this change are evident even in the material production, specifically in the cylinder seals. Indeed most of these decorations have contest scenes with men, gods, mythical beings and animals. This kind of iconography starts in Early Dynastic Period and is completely reworked in Akkadian Period, both technologically and stylistically, becoming some kind of dynastic emblem in which the new features are imposed in the artistic panorama of the countries subjected to the power of Akkad