On behalf of Heidelberg University (Germany) and the Iraqi Department of Antiquities, ACS undertook a mission to sites of ancient Nineveh in present-day Mosul/Iraq. Nineveh was the last royal city of the legendary Assyrian Empire 900 - 600 BC). The site is located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River and was the capital and largest city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, as well as the largest city in the world for several decades.
IS (Islamic State), which captured Mosul largely without a fight in the summer of 2014, established a reign of terror and destroyed numerous historical sites.
These included the tomb of the Prophet Jonah and the mosque of the same name. Under the floor of the destroyed Ottoman mosque, there are the remains of the Assyrian Esarhaddon Palace, where the IS drove numerous tunnels during their regime to carry out looted excavations. Here, also in connection with current excavations of the University of Heidelberg, numerous facade plates, a trough hall and four colossal Lamassu sculptures were found. Lamassu sculptures are are human-headed winged lions standing to the right and left of entrance situations.
The ancient remains must be preserved, conserved and presented museal in the future. In this context, ACS has undertaken investigations, ultrasonic velocity measurements and is currently developing a restoration concept.
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