Building a capital city is costly and requires many years of construction. Can you imagine, for example, if the president announced that he would be moving the capital from Washington DC and constructing a new one on farmland in Central Florida?

In the early 1st Millennium BCE, a curious thing happened.  Neo-Assyrian kings decide to construct lavish new capital cities, ex novo, effectively shifting the center of power from one place to another.  What evidence (textual, archaeological, art-historical) is available that sheds light on this phenomenon?  Why did they do it? Chapter 12 in your textbook should be particularly helpful in framing your response. Make sure that your post conforms to the Guidelines for Discussion Posts to receive credit for this posting.