Nineveh and its Remains: With an Account of a Visit to the Chaldaean Christians of Kurdistan, and the Yezidis, or Devil-Worshippers; and an Enquiry into the Manners and Arts of the Ancient Assyrians. Vol. II. 3rd ed

1849

Shoults Eb 1849 L

London: John Murray

The long history of civilisation in Iraq is visible in the ancient ruins of the region. Palace complexes were first systematically excavated in the 1840s by Englishman Austen Henry Layard (1817-94) and Iraqi Hormuzd Rassam (1826-1910). The city of Nimrud, called Calah in the Bible and described by Xenophon as Larisa, was excavated in 1845. Several bas-relief were uncovered, most of which were shipped back to the British Museum in London. This image from Layard's Account details the kingly pursuit of lion hunting and is just one part of a long ‘story’, found in Nimrud, depicting King Ashurbanipal II (9th century BC). The city was abandoned in the 7th century BC, and unfortunately in the last few years, the ancient ruins have been destroyed by ISIS.