Relief of King Ashurbanipal uncovered in Nineveh
German archeologists have found a monumental relief depicting the legendary Assyrian king.
Archaeologists from Heidelberg University have uncovered a monumental stone relief depicting King Ashurbanipal in the North Palace at ancient Nineveh (modern-day Mosul), reports phys.org.
Carved on an enormous slab measuring approximately5.5 m by 3 m and weighing around 12 tons, the relief uniquely portrays the king flanked by two supreme deities—Ashur and Ishtar—alongside protective figures like a fish-god and possibly a scorpion-man.
This fresco adorned a niche opposite the throne room entrance, highlighting its ceremonial importance. Remarkably, fragments were excavated from a Hellenistic-period pit–likely buried accidentally or deliberately to conceal them. Findings will be restored in situ, with plans for public display, marking a significant addition to surviving Assyrian royal iconography. Scholars are now examining its artistic and cultural implications in detail.
