New ancient Assyrian discoveries unearthed in Iraq
The Word | Nov. 9, 2022 | (Photo courtesy of Michael Danti via Facebook)
A team of archaeologists in Iraq discovered an intact threshold dating back to the Assyrian empire on Wednesday.
An excavation led by the Penn Museum uncovered a door threshold with a “well preserved cuneiform inscription” at the site of the palace of King Adad-Nerari III, according to a Facebook post from Michael Danti, an archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania.
The discovery at Nimrud is part of the team’s expansion of digging at the site. A similar threshold from the palace is housed in the British Museum.
“The one we just found is remarkably well preserved,” Danti told The Word in an email. “It seems most of the doorways had them, and we are currently excavating a new doorway…and we hope it will have an intact sill.”
The team continues to encounter other inscribed architectural sculptures in the palace, according to Danti.
The palace contains two types of threshold inscriptions: historical, which detail the king’s achievements, and genealogical, which describe the royal ancestors of Adad-Nerari III. Danti said the team plans to continue excavations in the palace area as well as in the Temple of Ishtar.
Adad-Nerari III reigned over Assyria from 811–783 BC. His mother, Queen Shammuramat, later known as the legendary Queen Semiramis.
The Penn team is working with the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, which oversees the country’s historical sites and museums, according to Danti. He said the team employs 30 local workers on the excavations and restoration projects.
“We are also hoping to learn more about [Adad-Nerari’s] mother, Queen Shammuramat, who wielded unprecedented power during her son's reign.”
Last month, the University of Pennsylvania’s Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program team unearthed previously unseen rock carvings at the site of the Mashki Gate, dating back to King Sennacherib’s rule and thought to originate from or be intended for his palace.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Nov. 11 to include comment and additional information from Michael Danti.