Archaeologists in northern Iraq have unearthed the largest lamassu ever found, a massive winged bull with a human head that once guarded King Esarhaddon’s throne room in ancient Nineveh. The sculpture was around six meters (20 feet) high, much bigger than the celebrated examples at the British Museum and the Louvre, which are between 3.5 and 4.2 meters tall.
It was found at Tell Nabi Yunus in Mosul, which is one of the two significant mounds of Nineveh. For a period of a century or even more, the site had been regarded as the tomb of the Prophet Jonah, which prevented extensive archaeological excavation. Excavation became possible only after 2014, when the mosque that covered the mound was destroyed by Islamic State militants, who also excavated tunnels beneath the site to loot antiquities and fund their operations. Since 2018, teams from the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and Heidelberg University have been exploring the looted tunnels and revealing remains of Assyrian architecture.
The newly discovered lamassu was found within the ruins of Esarhaddon’s throne hall. It is believed to have originally been one of a pair that decorated the main gate of the hall, the focal point of Assyrian royal power displays. Smaller examples had previously been discovered at the location, including a nearly four-meter statue unearthed during the 1990s and another large one revealed in 2021. The new find, however, surpasses them all and reshapes our understanding of Neo-Assyrian monumental art.
Lamassu statues, lion- or bull-bodied and eagle-winged hybrids with human heads, were pivotal protective deities in Mesopotamian culture. Placed at the gates, they symbolized divine protection while evoking the overwhelming power of the empire. The exceptionally large scale of the Mosul lamassu raises questions about its commissioning: was it created by Esarhaddon in order to exhibit his authority, or is it evidence of a lost tradition of colossal sculpture?
Esarhaddon, who ruled from 681 to 669 BCE, was one of the most powerful kings of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The son of Sennacherib and the father of Ashurbanipal, he ascended to the throne following a violent struggle within the dynasty. He extended Assyrian authority into Egypt and Syria, and rebuilt Babylon, which had been destroyed during his father’s reign. Inscriptions from Nabi Yunus suggest the palace complex contained barracks, workshops, courtyards, and a throne room suite lavishly decorated in styles influenced by neighboring cultures.
Excavations have also yielded numerous cuneiform tablets bearing inscriptions from Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal, as well as other artifacts presumed to be war spoils from Egypt and Syria.
Aside from archaeology, the discovery also attests to Mosul’s cultural resilience. The recent wars greatly damaged the cultural heritage of the city, but the reemergence of the lamassu now brings Nineveh back into the world’s focus once again. Iraqi cultural authorities, in collaboration with their German partners, plan to transform the Nabi Yunus site into a museum complex that will merge the Assyrian remains with the Islamic cultural heritage of the Prophet Jonah Mosque.
While extensive documentation and conservation are still underway, the six-meter lamassu is already a landmark in Mesopotamian art studies. Aside from being a symbol of the grandeur of Assyria, it is an eye-opener to the city’s enduring relevance. Nearly 2,700 years after its creation, the massive guardian has resumed its purpose: emanating the power and majesty of a civilization whose history continues to captivate the world.
- To view the original image and learn more about this discovery, visit AINA.
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