Reconstructed model of Sargon’s Palace in Khosrabad
Huge ‘villa’ also has a water gate and other giant structures. It was discovered in the most recent magnetic survey of Khorsabad, present-day Iraq, which turned out to be more developed than previously thought.
Em Khorsabadthe ancient Assyrian capital in northern Iraq, a recently discovered huge ‘villa’ with 127 roomsroyal gardens, a water gate and several giant structures.
The discovery was only made after the latest magnetic survey, which identified buried structures by mapping subtle changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.
The enormous house sheds light on the city’s once-prosperous urban landscape. Founded in 713 BC by the Neo-Assyrian emperor Sargon II, Khorsabad, originally known as Dur Xarruquim (“Sargon’s Fortress“), intended to be a great capital. However, the death of Sargon II, shortly after its construction, left the city apparently incomplete, and his successor transferred the capital to Nineveh.
Rediscovered in the 19th century, the first excavations focused on Sargon’s palace, leading researchers to believe that the rest of the city was largely undeveloped. This perspective changed after the French Archaeological Mission in Khorsabad carried out a major geophysical survey in 2017, recalls .
Using advanced magnetometric technologythe team identified buried structures, which showed that the city extended far beyond the palace walls.
The study, by Jörg Fassbinder of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in 2024, revealed ghostly outlines of structures buried two or three meters underground, including a vast “mansion”, the city’s water gate. and five other important buildings. After all, Khorsabad was more developed than previously thought.
Image of an Assyrian mythical creature from the palace of Sargon II in Khorsabad
“Every day we discover something new… all of this was found without excavation. Excavation is very expensive, so archaeologists wanted to know in detail what they could expect to get from the excavation. The survey saved time and money. It is a necessary tool before starting any excavation,” said Fassbinder.
