A team of archaeologists from Heidelberg University has uncovered a monumental stone relief in Nineveh, Iraq, depicting King Ashurbanipal flanked by two major Assyrian gods, Ashur and Ishtar, along with demigods. The 2,600-year-old relief, measuring nearly 20 feet across and 10 feet high, was found buried in a pit at the northern palace, a site first excavated in the 19th century by Austen Henry Layard. The discovery is part of the Heidelberg Nineveh Project, launched in 2018 after the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State.
This find is significant because it is the first known Assyrian palace relief to depict major deities, offering new insights into Assyrian religious and political iconography. The relief's burial likely explains why it was missed by earlier British archaeologists, and researchers plan to restore it to its original location for public access. The discovery underscores the ongoing importance of archaeological work in post-conflict regions and the potential for major finds even at well-studied sites.