This is an overview of the lecture "Ancient Assyrian Palaces: Power and Propaganda," presented by Dr Colin Hope on Thursday 19th July 2012 at the Melbourne Museum. The first half of the first millenium BCE (roughly 900 BCE - 525 BCE) saw the ancient Near East dominated by the Assyrian and neo-Babylonian empires respectively. The architecture employed by the ruling elite during this time was designed to send a distinct message of the strength and divine power of the king. The palaces in particular were striking examples of this phenomenon. Assyrian ruler Assurnasirpal's palace at Nimrud was elevated, enormous and elaborately decorated. The entrances were dominated by the imposing statues of winged humanheaded bulls, and panelling on the interior walls depicted victorious battle scenes and the king interacting with the gods. The message was clear: the king has a divine right to rule. The Assyrian palace at Nineveh (instigated by Sennacherib and completed by Assurbanipal) was also grandiose in size, with wall panels repeatedly featuring the king's triumph in hunting bulls and lions, animals renowned for their great strength. Musculature of men and animals is consistently emphasised in the panels (see photo below), as a constant reminder that the king is mighty and strong. Photo courtesy of John Wisbey The palace at Babylon was characterised by exceptionally wide walls (wide enough for two carts, each drawn by four horses, to pass one another) and monumental gateways, including the famous Ishtar Gate. Once again, we see architecture used as a statement of power, portraying the empire as an aggressive military machine. Yet quite a different story emerges from the ancient texts recovered from these mighty empires. Impressive cultural achievements come to light, including knowledge in the fields of maths, literature, medicine, pharmacy, astronomy, zoology and botany, to name just a few. And so, after an hour of being fascinated by the fantastic architectural and cultural achievements of the ancient Assyrian and neo-Babylonian empires, the moral of the story emerges - one cannot gain a full picture of a society by focussing solely on one material aspect. Every available piece of information needs to be considered in order to draw the most accurate conclusions. Art, architecture, texts, household items - in archaeology, every one of these is vital in coming to a valid understanding.