A team from Heidelberg University excavating in Iraq made a spectacular find: In the throne room of the North Palace of King Ashurbanipal in the ancient city of Nineveh, the archaeologists discovered large portions of a monumental relief that depicts the ruler of the Assyrian empire from the seventh century BC along with two important deities and other figures.
The relief was carved on a massive stone slab 18 feet (5.5 meters) long and 10 feet (three meters) high and weighing approximately 12 tons. The find is extraordinary for the researchers not only for its size, but also for the scenes depicted.
"Among the many relief images of Assyrian palaces we know of, there are no depictions of major deities," states the head of the excavations in the North Palace, Prof. Dr. Aaron Schmitt of the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology.
Assyrian Mythology and the Last Great King
The ancient city of Nineveh, located near the modern Iraqi city of Mosul, is considered to be one of the most important cities of North Mesopotamia and, under King Sennacherib, became the capital of the Assyrian empire in the late eighth century BC. Since 2022, Aaron Schmitt and his team have been investigating the Kuyunjik mound in the core sector of the North Palace built by King Ashurbanipal.
Fragment of the newly discovered relief found in the king’s palace in Ninevah/Mosul, Iraq. (Heidelberg University).
The excavations are conducted as part of the Heidelberg Nineveh project begun in 2018 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Stefan Maul of the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Near East at Heidelberg University. At the end of the 19th century, British researchers first explored the North Palace of ancient Nineveh and discovered large-scale reliefs, which are now on exhibit in London's British Museum.
Shown in the center of the recently discovered relief is King Ashurbanipal, the last great ruler of the Assyrian empire. He is flanked by two supreme deities: the gods Ashur and Ishtar, patron goddess of Nineveh. They are both followed by a fish genius, 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," explains Prof. Schmitt. Over the coming months, based on the data collected on site, the researchers will investigate the depiction in detail as well as the find context and publish the results in a scientific journal.
According to Prof. Schmitt, the relief was originally located in a niche across from the main entrance to the throne room, i.e., the most important place in the palace. The Heidelberg researchers discovered the relief fragments in an earth-filled pit behind this niche. It was probably dug in the Hellenistic period in the third or second century before Christ.
3D model of the relief: King Ashurbanipal is in the center, flanked by Ashur on the left and Ishtar on the right, with both being followed by a fish genius and a supporting figure with raised arms. (Michael Rummel/ Heidelberg University).
"The fact that these fragments were buried is surely one reason why the British archaeologists never found them over a hundred years ago," assumes Prof. Schmitt. As agreed with the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), the medium-term plan is to place the relief on its original site and open it to the public.
The Story of Ninevah and Ashurbanipal
Nineveh, located near present-day Mosul in Iraq, was one of the most prominent and celebrated cities of the ancient world. Settled as early as 6,000 BC and emerging as a major urban center by 3,000 BC, it thrived as a Mesopotamian religious mecca devoted to the worship of the goddess Ishtar. Its name, likely derived from the prefix Nin or Nina, may have meant "House of the Goddess," a fitting title for a city so closely associated with a famous ancient deity.
Although Nineveh is portrayed in the Bible as a symbol of sin and decadence, other ancient accounts depict it as a hub of sophisticated culture and architectural beauty. The city featured gardens, statues, parks, and even a zoo, reflecting its status as the largest city in the world at its peak of prosperity.
Artist's impression of Assyrian palaces from The Monuments of Nineveh by Sir Austen Henry Layard, 1853. (British Museum/Public Domain).
Nineveh was absorbed ito the Assyrian sphere of influence during the reign of Shamashi Adad I (1813–1791 BC), but it flourished most dramatically during the era of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (912–612 BC). King Sennacherib (705–681 BC) transformed the city into the empire’s capital, commissioning ambitious building projects that reshaped it into a cultural and political powerhouse. Some scholars believe that the legendary Hanging Gardens, usually attributed to Babylon, may have actually been erected in Nineveh, built under Sennacherib’s rule.
Despite its achievements, Nineveh’s glory was not eternal. In 612 BC, it was destroyed by a coalition of Babylonians and Medes, which led to the final collapse of Assyrian power. But shortly before the end the city and the empire experienced something of a revival under Ashurbanipal, the last great Neo-Assyrian king, who reigned from 668 to 627 BC.
Ashurbanipal is remembered not only for his military campaigns but also for his intellectual pursuits. He established one of the world’s first systematically organized libraries in Nineveh, preserving a vast collection of Mesopotamian literature and knowledge that would become a crucial resource for understanding the ancient world.
However, Ashurbanipal’s legacy is marked by stark contrasts. While he contributed to cultural preservation, he also epitomized the ruthless side of Assyrian rule. Known for his brutal suppression of revolts, he openly glorified the mass killing of rebels and civilians. His campaign against Elam, a neighboring empire, was so deadly and destructive that some scholars have described it as genocidal.
Relief depicting Ashurbanipal in a chariot, inspecting booty and prisoners from Babylon. (Anthony Huan/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)
Although he expanded Assyrian influence farther than ever before, many of Ashurbanipal’s military ventures offered little lasting benefit. His costly wars in Arabia and Egypt drained resources, while the destruction of Babylon during his conflict with his brother Shamash-shum-ukin diminished the empire’s sense of cohesion. Some historians argue that these aggressive policies may have sown the seeds for the empire’s downfall, which came just two decades after his death, although this remains a hotly debated topic.
Ashurbanipal's reign reflected Assyrian power, but also its gradual decay and internal weakness. The discovery of the relief in Ninevah tells us more about how the king perceived himself (as a peer of the gods), and perhaps in doing also reveals the vanity and narcissism that may have blinded him to the truth about Assryia’s decline, ensuring his fading empire would reach a point of no return.
Top image: Heidelberg University excavation team working in the North Palace of King Ashurbanipal in the ancient city of Nineveh, near Mosul, Iraq.
Source: Heidelberg University.
This is an expanded version of a press release published by Heidelberg University, entitled ‘Spectacular Find in the Ancient City of Nineveh.’
