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Iraqi News
19-05-2025
- General
- Iraqi News
Historic Assyrian discovery stuns archaeologists in Iraq
Baghdad ( – A stunning archaeological discovery has been made in the ruins of ancient Nineveh, now part of Mosul, Iraq. A massive stone relief depicting King Ashurbanipal, one of the most powerful rulers of the Assyrian Empire, has been uncovered by a Heidelberg University excavation team, according to Ancient Origins. The find was made in the throne room of the North Palace, a once-grand structure that served as a royal seat during Ashurbanipal's reign in the 7th century BC. The relief, carved from a single stone block measuring 5.5 meters long, 3 meters tall, and weighing approximately 12 tons, shows the king standing alongside two prominent deities and several attendants. Excavation work in ancient Nineveh, now part of Mosul, Iraq. Photo credit: Heidelberg University Since 2022, archaeologist Dr. Aaron Schmitt and his team have been exploring Kuyunjik, the site that includes the remnants of the North Palace. The discovery adds to the rich visual legacy of Assyrian art, which, like that of ancient Egypt, used elaborate wall carvings to depict scenes of kingship, divinity, and power. Once the capital of the Assyrian Empire in the late 9th century BC, Nineveh was a major urban center in northern Mesopotamia, known for its impressive architecture and cultural significance. Plans are now in motion to return the relief to its original setting, where it will eventually be made accessible to the public, in cooperation with Iraq's State Board of Antiquities and Heritage.
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Archaeologists Reveal Ancient Throne Room Relief Depicting King and Gods
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Excavations in Iraq have unearthed the remains of a massive relief depicting both the last great ruler of the Assyrian empire and two deities. The remains—missed by archaeologists for more than a century—were found in an earth-filled pit in the throne room of the North Palace of King Ashurbanipal (668-627 BCE) in the ancient city of Nineveh. The relief, which likely would have weighed some 12 tons, was carved on a massive stone slab 18 feet long by nearly 10 feet tall. However, the researchers said, the find is remarkable not only for its scale, but also for the scenes that the artwork depicted. "Among the many relief images of Assyrian palaces we know of, there are no depictions of major deities," said excavation lead and archaeologist Professor Aaron Schmitt of Heidelberg University, Germany, in a statement. Part of the newly discovered relief in the ancient city of Nineveh. Part of the newly discovered relief in the ancient city of Nineveh. Aaron Schmitt Located near the modern city of Mosul, Nineveh was one of the most-important cities of North Mesopotamia, having become the Assyrian capital in the late eighth-century BCE. Named after its placement on the citadel mound of Kuyunjik, the North Palace is thought to have been completed around 643 BCE—and then burnt down not long after, in 612 BCE, when Nineveh was sacked by the Babylonians. The palace was rediscovered by a British Museum-led archaeological expedition in late 1853—during which several large-scale reliefs, now on display in the museum in London, were uncovered. Schmitt and his colleagues have been conducting excavations on the Kuyunjik mound since 2022, but only recently discovered the new relief, which the team thinks was originally displayed in a niche across from the throne room's main entrance. The pit in which the fragments of the relief were found was behind this niche, and likely dug in the third- or second-century BCE. "The fact that these fragments were buried is surely one reason the British archaeologists never found them over 100 years ago," Schmitt said. King Ashurbanipal is depicted in the center of the relief (shown here in a 3D reconstruction, with the recovered parts in gray); he is flanked by two supreme deities, Ashur and Ishtar, who are both... King Ashurbanipal is depicted in the center of the relief (shown here in a 3D reconstruction, with the recovered parts in gray); he is flanked by two supreme deities, Ashur and Ishtar, who are both followed with a demigod and a scorpion man. More Michael Rummel King Ashurbanipal—remembered both for his assembly of a vast library in Nineveh, but also for his sheer brutality against enemy nations and rebellious citizens alike—is depicted in the center of the relief. He is flanked by two supreme deities: Ashur, the Assyrian national god; and Ishtar, goddess of fertility, love and war—and the patron of Nineveh. They are both each followed by a fish demigod—who would have granted the king and the gods life and salvation—as well as a scorpion man with his arms raised. "These figures suggest that a massive winged sun disk was originally mounted above the relief," said Schmitt. Excavations continue in the ancient city of Nineveh. Excavations continue in the ancient city of Nineveh. Aaron Schmitt In the wake of their discovery, Schmitt and his team are continuing their analysis of the relief, with the intention of publishing their results in a scientific journal. Meanwhile, in tandem with the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, the researchers are working to put the relief on display to the public in its original location. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about archaeology? Let us know via science@
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Rare stone carving depicting Assyrian king surrounded by gods unearthed
Archaeologists have unearthed a peculiar ancient stone slab in Iraq depicting an Assyrian emperor from the seventh century BC surrounded by deities worshipped in the Mesopotamian civilisation. The giant slab, measuring about 5.5m (16ft) long and 3m (10ft) wide, was discovered in the throne room of the North Palace of King Ashurbanipal in the ancient city of Nineveh, located near Mosul. The ancient city is considered to be one of the most important parts of North Mesopotamia, becoming the capital of the Assyrian empire in the late eighth century BC under King Sennacherib. Researchers who were part of the latest excavation found the stone slab 'extraordinary', not only for its size, but also for the scenes it depicted. This is mainly because until now, religious relief images from the Assyrian Empire have not contained many deities. 'Among the many relief images of Assyrian palaces we know of, there are no depictions of major deities,' said Aaron Schmitt from the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology. Since 2022, excavations have been underway at a core sector of the North Palace built by King Ashurbanipal. The newly uncovered slab was found to contain at its centre Ashurbanipal, the last great ruler of the Assyrian empire, flanked by two supreme deities: the gods Ashur and Ishtar, the patron goddess of Nineveh. It also contains a fish-like deity, who grants the gods and the sovereign salvation and life, as well as a supporting figure with arms raised, most likely to be restored as a scorpion-man. 'These figures suggest that a massive winged sun disk was originally mounted above the relief,' Dr Schmitt said. Over the coming months, researchers hope to study the slab in detail, find the context behind its depictions, and publish the results in a scientific journal. The slab was originally located at a site across from the main entrance to the throne room, which researchers say could be the most important place in the palace. Fragments of the slab were uncovered in an earth-filled pit behind this niche. Researchers suspect it was dug out during the Hellenistic period in the third or second century BC. 'The fact that these fragments were buried is surely one reason why the British archeologists never found them over a hundred years ago,' Dr Schmitt said.
