Archaeologists unearth 2,700-year-old rock carvings in Iraq

The Guardian ^

[BenLurkin]

Archaeologists in northern Iraq have unearthed 2,700-year-old rock carvings featuring war scenes and trees from the Assyrian empire, an archaeologist has said.

The carvings on marble slabs were discovered in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, where experts have been working to restore the site of the ancient Mashki Gate, which was bulldozed by Islamic State militants in 2016.

IS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and carried out a campaign of systematic destruction of museums and invaluable archaeological sites in their fervour to erase history.

Fadhil Mohammed, the head of the restoration works, said the team were surprised to discover eight murals with inscriptions, decorative drawings and writings.

Mashki Gate was one of the largest gates of Nineveh, an ancient Assyrian city in the historic region of Mesopotamia.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

I give 'em a week or two before they are defaced and destroyed by Muslims.

[Mark17]

I give 'em a week or two before they are defaced and destroyed by Muslims.

They have priors.

[TheCipher]

They missed something ...

[llevrok]

Linguists from the NY Museum of Natural History have translated the script. One phrase said “Joe Biden was here”.

[BarbM]

“Joe Biden was here”.
******

I always mark “Barb is cool”

They’d better get that out of the country before it goes boom.

[gleeaikin]

I hate these destroyers. Part of why I so despise Putin’s invasion.

[D Rider]

Nineveh is where ISIS blew up Jonahs tomb a few years ago.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks gleeaikin, well said.

[Redcitizen]

The rock carvings were found between Iraq and a hard place.

[SunkenCiv]