Excavations in Nineveh, 1930/32

Temple of ishtar

The British Museum performed excavations on the Temple of Ishtar in the centre of the Kuyunjik mound at Nineveh in 1930-31.

The temple was found to have a solid, 6-feet thick foundation, and is described as " a solid libn foundation ". Inscribed bricks of Asshur-Nasir-pal found in situ, along with numerous other records, confirmed the structure as the Temple of Ishtar. While the exact time of the temple's origin is unknown, the first recorded builder was Man-ish Tushu, the son of Sargon of Agad, around 2450 B.C., as indicated on Shamshi-Hadad I's cylinder. This suggests that Nineveh was a city of the Babylonian empire at the time.

Excavation process

"Sanctum sanctorum": Thompson's excavation office at Nebi Yunus. Print from British Museum archive.

Excavation in progress on the site of the Ishtar Temple. Print from British Museum archive.

Maps

Shanshi-Adad's Ashur Temple

Excavated remains of the Ishtar Temple, with grid-line strengthened

Thompson's excavation in and near the Ishtar Temple

Schematic reconstruction of section from west to east Squares TT-OO

Schematic reconstruction of section from west to east Squares O-W

Objects

Goddess and king in Nineveh shrine. Detail from the white obelisk.

white obelisk

An eleventh-century white obelisk depicts a woman, seated in her chamber or sanctuary. She is wearing a tall hat, similar to the mural crown or polos worn by the goddesses of the Hittite and Hurrian cultures. This style was later embraced by Assyrian queens.

Terracotta figurines from Kujunjik, dated by style

Inscribed spear-head (length 26.7 cm) from the Ishtar Temple

Black painted Ware

During the 1930-31 excavations at the Temple of Ishtar's foundations located in some Parthian houses on Kouyunjik, a significant amount of black-painted pottery was discovered. This pottery, similar to the type found in 1927 and 1929 under Mr. Hutchinson's supervision, reminded us of the famous ware from Susa and Babylonia. However, it had its unique style. We are unsure of the exact era of this pottery, but we believe it's from the Third Millennium. Its location in the Parthian layers suggests that a Parthian archaeologist might have collected it.

Drawing of piece of black ware from Nineveh

copper Head of an Akkadian king

Style: Mesopotamian art (Sumerian art)

Creation: c. 2350-2200 BC (Akkadian period).

Material: Bronze.

Current location: Iraq, Baghdad, National Museum.

A bronze head, likely a representation of either Naram-Sin or Sargon of Akkad from the Old Akkadian dynasty. The artifact was discovered in Nineveh, present-day Iraq, and it currently resides in the National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad. The bronze head, standing at 30.5 cm tall, was uncovered by Dr. R. Campbell Thompson and Mr. R.W. Hamilton at Quyunjiq in 1931 during an excavation funded by Sir Charles Hyde, Bt for the British Museum. The head was initially published with a corroded surface, but has since been cleaned to reveal its original splendor. Although the precise composition of the metal has not been determined, it appears to be bronze and the head seems to have been cast with some details chiseled in. Based on its style, the craftsmanship can be traced back to the Akkadian period, around the 26th century B.C.

love story

Agatha Christie and Max Mallowan visiting the excavations at Nippur in Iraq. Courtesy of the Penn Museum Archives (image 49024)

Agatha Christie & Max Mallowan

Agatha Christie (1890-1976), the acclaimed British author, was invited by Katharine Woolley (1888-1945) to embark on an extended trip to Ur in 1930. The nature of her role provided Christie with the opportunity to accompany Max on his weekly shopping expeditions, a routine that strengthened their bond. This bond blossomed into love, resulting in Max's marriage proposal when they returned to Britain. The pair tied the knot in September 1930. Christie then accompanied her husband, Max Mallowan, to the archaeological site of Nineveh from 1931 to 1932. Her literary work, Lord Edgware Dies, includes a dedication to "Dr and Mrs Thompson Campbell".

Click "Agatha Christie (1890-1976)" to see her works on Gutenberg

reference

British Museum. “Collections Online.” Accessed December 20, 2023. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG62032.

Pinches, T. G., R. Campbell Thompson, and R. W. Hamilton. “Review: [Untitled] on JSTOR.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 2 (1934): 376–80. https://doi.org/10.2307/25200912.

Reade, Julian. “The Ishtar Temple at Nineveh.” Iraq 67, no. 1 (2005): 347–90. https://doi.org/10.2307/4200586.

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