In the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, located in present-day Iraq, archaeologists have made a series of important discoveries that offer new insights into the history of this once powerful center.
The excavations, conducted by a University of Pennsylvania expedition, focused on the temple of the god Ninurta and brought to light unique artifacts related to key figures in Assyrian history, according to the university’s website.
Nimrud, founded in the 13th century BC, reached its peak in the 9th century BC, when King Assurnasirpal II turned it into the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The city remained an important center until the end of the 7th century BC, when it was destroyed following wars. Although excavations began as early as the 19th century, the temple of the god Ninurta has been relatively little researched.
In recent research, archaeologists have discovered two new sacred spaces inside the temple. In one of them, a massive stone pedestal for a statue was found, measuring 3.7 by 2.9 meters. A cuneiform inscription was preserved on the pedestal, probably related to King Assurnasirpal II, the founder of Imperial Nimrud. In another sanctuary, a smaller, badly damaged pedestal was found, as well as fragments of statues that most likely represented deities.
The most significant discovery was a stone stela (kudurru) with a royal decree, dated 797 BC. The stela text tells of King Adad-nirari III’s appointment of Nergal-eriga as governor of the city and territory of Hindanu, located in the middle Euphrates basin. The decree also contains warnings and curses against those who would dare to violate it, damage the stela or remove it from the temple.
In addition, archaeologists have discovered well-preserved cuneiform tablets written in the Akkadian language that contain information about the economic activity of the temple, including lists of loans and goods. Other finds include a clay tablet with an Aramaic text, a carved griffin head, carved ivory decorative objects and a stone vessel embedded in the temple floor, which was probably used in rituals.
Expedition leader Michael Danti noted that despite the looting and fire that destroyed the temple in the late 7th century BC, it was surprisingly well preserved, most likely due to the rapid collapse of the building during the fire. The new discoveries in Nimrud provide valuable information about the political, economic and religious life of the Assyrian Empire and allow a deeper understanding of the history of this ancient city.
