Archaeologists reconstitute the “treasures of Mesopotamia” destroyed in Iraq by jihadists

A decade after jihadist fighters looted the ruins of Nimrud in Iraq, the archaeologists They strive to reconstitute their ancient treasures, converted into thousands of fragments.

The archaeological site, once the crown jewel of the ancient Assyrian empire, was razed by Islamic State (IS) fighters after they overran large swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014.

The precious pre-Islamic works destroyed by the jihadists lie in pieces, but archaeologists are not afraid of the colossal task of reassembling them.

“Every time we find a piece and put it in its original place, it is like a new discovery”, Abdel Ghani Ghadi, a 47-year-old specialist who works at the site, tells AFP.

More than 500 pieces have been found shattered in the area, about 30 km from Mosul, the city in northern Iraq where IS established the capital of its self-proclaimed “caliphate.”

A thorough excavation by Iraqi archaeologists has allowed the recovery of more than 35,000 fragments.

Scientists have been careful to reassemble the bas-reliefs, sculptures and decorated slabs depicting mythical creatures, which adorned the palace of Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II almost 3,000 years ago.

Little by little the puzzle pieces covered by a green tarp come together.

The image of Ashurnasirpal II begins to appear in bas-relief alongside a winged, bearded figure with curly hair and a flower on his wrist, as restoration returns the rich details to the stone engraving.

Another piece shows handcuffed prisoners from territories that rebelled against the powerful Assyrian army.

Lying on their sides are some lamassus (portraits of Assyrian deities with a human head, the body of a bull or lion and the wings of a bird), near some tablets with texts in cuneiform writing.

Complex operation

“Those sculptures are the treasure of Mesopotamia,” says Ghadi.

“Nimrud is the heritage of all humanity, a history dating back 3,000 years.”

Founded in the 13th century BC. C., Nimrud reached its peak in the 9th century BC. C. and was the second capital of the Assyrian empire.

IS propaganda videos in 2015 showed jihadists destroying monuments with bulldozers, hitting them with pickaxes or dynamiting them.

One of those monuments was the 2,800-year-old temple of Nabu, the Mesopotamian god of wisdom and writing.

IS fighters They also destroyed the Mosul Museum and the ancient city of Palmyra, in Syria.

The jihadist group was defeated in 2017 in Iraq and the Nimrud restoration project began the following year. It was interrupted by the covid-19 pandemic and resumed in 2023.

Mohamed Kasim of Iraq’s Academic Research Institute told AFP that “until now it has been a process of collection, classification and identification.”

70% of the work has been completed on the site of the Assyrian palace, and there remains a year of field work before the restoration begins at full speed, says Kasim, who warns that it is a “complex operation.”

His organization has worked closely with Iraqi archaeologists, supporting their effort to “rescue” Nimrud and preserve its cultural wealth.

Testament of a golden age

Kasim says that the delicate restoration process requires knowledge that did not exist in Iraq and “international support,” given the magnitude of the “barbaric” destruction in Nimrud.

It is “one of the most important sites of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization,” according to Kasim, and is a testament to the golden age of “art and architecture of the Assyrian civilization.”

The site was initially excavated by archaeologists in the 19th century and gained international recognition for the immense lamassus figures that were displayed in the British Museum in London and the Louvre in Paris.

The ruins attracted figures such as British writer Agatha Christie, who visited the site with her husband, an archaeologist.

On a recent visit to Nimrud, the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Ahmed Fakak al Badrani, praised the “difficult” work carried out by archaeologists, collecting pieces to compare them with drawings and photos of the pieces they are trying to reconstruct.

The enormous destruction has made it impossible, at least for now, to determine which antiquities were stolen by IS, according to the minister.

Badrani said it will take 10 years of hard work to fully see the wonders of King Ashurnasirpal II’s palace again.