Archaeologists in Iraq have uncovered a large Assyrian stele near the ancient Sun Gate of Nineveh in Mosul. Officials say the find could add new evidence about the final century of the Assyrian Empire.
A joint Iraqi-American team found the stone monument on June 6 at the gate, also known as Shamash Gate or Bab Shamash. Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage announced the discovery this week. Ali Obaid Shalgham, head of the board, confirmed that the stele dates to the seventh century B.C.
Nineveh antiquities inspector Ruwaid Muwaffaq al-Laila said the stele is linked to King Ashurbanipal, who ruled Assyria from 668 to 627 B.C., and marks building projects he carried out across the city. He called it one of the most valuable artifacts found that records the achievements of an Assyrian king.
The stele stands about 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall and 1.55 meters (5.1 feet) wide. It was carved from Mosul marble.
Inside the stele’s cuneiform text and Nineveh’s imperial rise
The front shows a relief of Ashurbanipal, while the back carries smaller images of two other Assyrian kings along with cuneiform writing. Researchers believe the text describes building work in Nineveh and elsewhere in the empire. Full translation has not been completed.
The Sun Gate sat on the eastern wall of Nineveh and was one of 17 known gates in the city’s fortifications. It was named for Shamash, the Mesopotamian god of the sun, justice, and order. The gate opened onto a route toward Arbela, now known as Erbil, and was used by royal processions and trade caravans.
Nineveh served as the capital of the Assyrian Empire under kings including Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal. Ashurbanipal is also known for building one of the earliest libraries, which held more than 20,000 clay tablets. The city fell in 612 B.C. to Babylonian and Median forces, ending Assyrian rule.
Restoration of Iraq’s Assyrian sun gate and the stele’s future
Many of Nineveh’s sites, including parts of its walls and the Mosul Museum, were damaged or destroyed by the Islamic State between 2014 and 2017.
Restoration work resumed after Mosul’s liberation, including a continuing project at the Sun Gate run with the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. Officials say the stele was found during that work.
Authorities have not decided where the Assyrian stele will be displayed permanently, though officials say it could remain near Iraq’s Sun Gate or move to the planned Mosul Civilization Museum.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
