Ancient bas-reliefs depicting gods have been found in Iraq

In Iraq, in The Faida district, a team of archaeologists unearthed bas-reliefs from Assyrian times. The images are placed on the banks of an ancient canal, which is approximately 6.5 km long. The authors of the bas-relief depict one of the Assyrian rulers, probably Sargon II, who lived in the VIII century BC. the King leads a procession of various deities and creatures.

Here you can see the supreme god Ashur – he stands on a dragon and a horned lion. He is followed by his consort, Mullissu, and the goddess Ishtar, both standing on lions. Behind them are Shamash on a horse, Sin on a lion, Adad on a lion and a bull, and Nabu on a dragon. The second image of king Sargon II closes the procession.

The upper part of the sculpture was found by British archaeologists in 1973. However, military skirmishes between the Kurds and Iraqi troops were a hindrance to the study of the artifact. Now the bas-reliefs are still under threat. The last expedition tries to collect as much data as possible about the find. Various advanced technologies are used, such as laser scanning and digital photogrammetry. Thanks to the drones, a detailed map of the channel network was created. The discovery shows that works of art decorated not only the Royal Palace, but also remote areas from it.