When you purchase through links on our website , we may earn an affiliate military commission . Here ’s how it works .
archeologist who are excavating the ancient city of Nineveh in Iraq have let on a rarefied Lucy Stone carving render the last ruler of theAssyrian Empireflanked by significant god . The slab was made in the seventh C B.C. but was mysteriously broken and swallow under the palace throne way several centuries afterwards .
" We have no info on the reasons that lead to the relief being buried,“Aaron Schmitt , an archaeology prof at Heidelberg University in Germany who discovered the Edward Durell Stone , told Live Science in an email . " This is quite enigmatical . "
Fragment of the monumental stone carving discovered at the archaeological site of Nineveh in Iraq.
During archeologic excavation underneath the palace built by King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh , the capital of the Assyrian Empire , Schmitt and his squad found the monumental relief carving , which had been broken up into several fragments .
In the center of the relief stand Ashurbanipal , the last king of the Assyrian Empire , who ruled from 669 to 631 B.C. He is flank by the ancientMesopotamiangods Ashur and Ishtar , and they are followed by a fish immortal and a Scorpio world . The inclusion of these graven image was a surprisal , the team observe .
" Among the many relief images of Assyrian palaces we do it of , there are no portrayal of major deities , " Schmitt said in astatement .
3D model of the newly discovered stone carving. The recovered fragments are shown in dark grey and depict Ashurbanipal in the center flanked by Ashur on the left and Ishtar on the right.
refer : grounds of Assyrians ' conquest of Holy Land discovered in Jerusalem
The tremendous stone slab measures 18 by 10 feet ( 5.5 by 3 meters ) and is estimated to weigh about 13.2 tons ( 12 metric tons ) . Although the squad has not analyzed the rock yet , Schmitt said it may be gypsum .
— Assyrian tablets moderate earliest written record of aurora ’s sky glowing
— Ancient Assyrian tomb with 10 skeletal frame discovered in Iraq
— Long - lost Assyrian military camp devastated by ' the holy man of the Lord ' finally find , scientist claim
archeologist found the stone ease scene in a filled - in pit behind the chief ingress to the castle ’s throne room . They believe the sculpture was buried there during the Hellenistical flow , between the second and third centuries B.C.
But selective information on the Hellenistic settlement at Nineveh is miss , Schmitt say . " We do not know if they were negatively dispose towards the Assyrian mogul and the Assyrian gods , " he tell . " I hope we will be capable to get a clear pic through our future mining . "
The rock relief will be studied further , and there are architectural plan to place it in its original location and unfold it to the world .
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again , you will then be incite to embark your presentation name .
