Tehran – A team of German archaeologists at the University of Heidelberg, dates back to the 7th century BC, made major archaeological breakthroughs in the ancient city of Nineveh, excavating monumental Assyrian bottom rescuers.
The salvation discovered in King Ashbanipal’s North Palace is one of the most important discoveries in recent years, offering new insights into the religious iconography and political symbolism of the Assyrian Empire.
The intricately carved stone panels measuring approximately 5.5 meters long, 3 meters high and weighing 12 tons depict Assyrian’s last king (ruled from 669 to 631 BC), sandwiched between two prominent Assyrian gods: Assur and Ishtar. Behind the god form is the fish genes that symbolize life and salvation, and the appearance of a scorpion with its arms raised.
“In the many salvation seen in Assyrian palaces, finding depictions of the major gods is very rar, if unprecedented,” said Professor Aaron Schmidt, Director of the Excavation Bureau. “This makes discoveries an exception both artistically and historically.”
Ah relief was revealed in a hole behind a ritual niche in the throne room of Ashbanipal Palace. Experts believe that salvation was buried in the Hellenistic period (3rd to 2nd centuries BC) for centuries after the collapse of the Assyrian Empire. This intentional burial likely contributed to the preservation of the artwork, explaining why it remained discovered during previous excavations by British archaeologists in the 19th century.
The discovery is part of the Heidelberg Nineveh Project launched in 2018 by Professor Stephen Mohl of Heidelberg University of Language and Culture. Since 2022, the team has focused on excavations at Kuyunzik Mound, the heart of the ancient Nineveh and Assyrian empire under King Senatherib in the late 8th century BC.
The relief is currently undergoing further research, with experts analyzing the types of stones considered to be plaster and examining the deeper meaning behind the symbolic image.
The Assyrians are indigenous peoples of Mesopotamia, a historic region of Western Asia. Modern Assyrians are descendants of the ancient Assyrians, one of the main civilizations of Mesopotamia.
The ancestral lands that make up Assyrian homeland cover ancient Mesopotamia and the regions surrounding the Tigris and Zab rivers. Today, the region is divided into modern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northwest Iran, and northeastern Syria.
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