'Quite enigmatic': Rare stone carving of Assyrian king surrounded by gods discovered in Iraq

Fragment of a stone with relief carving in the ground.

Archaeologists who are excavating the ancient city of Nineveh in Iraq have discovered a rare stone carving depicting the last ruler of the Assyrian Empire flanked by important gods. The slab was made in the seventh century B.C. but was mysteriously broken and buried under the palace throne room several centuries later.

"We have no information on the reasons that led to the relief being buried," Aaron Schmitt, an archaeology professor at Heidelberg University in Germany who discovered the stone, told Live Science in an email. "This is quite enigmatic."

During archaeological excavation underneath the palace built by King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, Schmitt and his team found the monumental relief carving, which had been broken up into several fragments.

In the center of the relief stands Ashurbanipal, the last king of the Assyrian Empire, who ruled from 669 to 631 B.C. He is flanked by the ancient Mesopotamian gods Ashur and Ishtar, and they are followed by a fish deity and a scorpion man. The inclusion of these gods was a surprise, the team noted.

"Among the many relief images of Assyrian palaces we know of, there are no depictions of major deities," Schmitt said in a statement.

Related: Evidence of Assyrians' conquest of Holy Land discovered in Jerusalem

The enormous stone slab measures 18 by 10 feet (5.5 by 3 meters) and is estimated to weigh about 13.2 tons (12 metric tons). Although the team has not analyzed the rock yet, Schmitt said it may be gypsum.

3D model of the newly discovered stone carving. The recovered fragments are shown in dark grey and depict Ashurbanipal in the center flanked by Ashur on the left and Ishtar on the right. (Image credit: Michael Rummel / Heidelberg University)

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Archaeologists found the stone relief scene in a filled-in pit behind the main entrance to the palace's throne room. They believe the sculpture was buried there during the Hellenistic period, between the second and third centuries B.C.

But information on the Hellenistic settlement at Nineveh is lacking, Schmitt said. "We do not know if they were negatively disposed towards the Assyrian king and the Assyrian gods," he said. "I hope we will be able to get a clearer picture through our future excavations."

The stone relief will be studied further, and there are plans to place it in its original location and open it to the public.