Plaque fragment with battle scene. Culture: Assyrian. Dimensions: 1.14 x 3.03 in. (2.9 x 7.7 cm). Date: ca. 9th century B.C..This broken piece of ivory was incised with a battle scene, now difficult to see because of the extensive damage to the piece. At center is a chariot, driven by a figure who holds the horses' reins, standing next to a bearded archer who raises his bow. Their clothing and the archer's beard identify them as Assyrians. A spear is set in the back platform of the chariot, extending diagonally away from the two soldiers in the chariot; next to the spear point, an arm dangles, probably belonging to the corpse of an enemy soldier. Below and to the right, a soldier with a short beard and an unusual helmet adorned with feathers or spikes stands before a pair of horses, his arms upraised in surrender. Carved ivory pieces such as this were widely used in the production of elite furniture during the early first millennium B.C., and were often inlaid into a wooden frame usin