Birkbeck FCE Certificate in Ancient Near Eastern & Aegean Studies

Introduction to Ancient Near Eastern and Aegean Studies

Chris Allen March 2011.

The Nimrud Ivories and the Nimrud Treasure

Since 1845 Nimrud, ancient Kalhu, has been the location of a series of important discoveries. The site is near Mosul in northern Iraq. It consists of a walled enclosure which has a citadel with buildings on a mound at its southwest corner. In the southeast corner just outside the city wall is the Arsenal known as Fort Shalmaneser (Figure 1). There is evidence of habitation there from prehistoric times onwards, but Nimrud became the royal capital under Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC) and further building took place under his successors. Nimrud was sacked and destroyed in attacks by the Medes in 614-612 BC. (Curtis 1997 141).

Figure 1 Plan of Nimrud by Felix Jones 1920 (from www.arthistory.Upenn.edu)

The first substantial excavations were undertaken by Layard (1817-95). In various seasons between 1845 and 1851 he made finds of many of the most famous items including the inscribed and sculptured stone relief slabs and colossal gateway figures which are in the British Museum today; he also made the first of the ivory finds. Further work continued until 1855 by Rassam and Loftus.

Excavation recommenced in 1949. This was by the British School of Archaeology in Iraq, with a team headed by Max Mallowan. This work continued until 1963. Periodic work continued through the 1970’s and 1980’s by teams from Poland, Italy and Britain. At the same time, the Iraq Department of Antiquities had commenced work there.

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In 1988-1990 four tombs of Assyrian Queens were discovered in chambers under palace floors accompanied by a quantity of beautiful gold artefacts and jewellery, the Nimrud Treasure. (Oates 2001 2-11).

Figure 2: Ivory of Ashurnasirpal II (taken from Mallowan 1970 Plate I)

Carved ivories have been found all through excavations at Nimrud, and they are now numbered in thousands: cataloguing is ongoing. Loftus had earlier found many ivories in the ‘Burnt Palace’ which are now in the British Museum, but most were found during the 1949-63 period. Later finds here included artistically carved female heads, and caryatid figures forming the handles of objects like mirrors. The burnt black shiny effect which is not unattractive arises from the sack of the city.

Many ivories were found in the North West (NW) Palace apparently close to their original locations when in use. These included an image of Ashurnasirpal II himself (figure 2) and scenes akin to those depicted on the sculptured reliefs nearby. Another of the most famous finds, the ‘Mona Lisa’ face was found in a well in the NW Palace. A number of ivories were found in the Nabu Temple site depicting such scenes as processions, and winged genii.

Most were in booty storage in Fort Shalmaneser. Many of these depict real and mythical animals: goats, sheep, deer, donkey, bulls, and ostriches; a roaring winged dragon, and a winged eagle headed geni (Oates 2001 227-8; Mallowan & Davies 1970 1-8; Herrman 2008 225-6).

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Figure 3: ‘Lioness and Negro boy’ British Museum 127412

Most ivories formed decoration on parts of furniture such as chairs, tables, possibly beds, or on boxes. They were also decorated with gold which has been stripped off.

Ivory was readily accessible from the herds of elephants which were hunted in Syria up to the ninth century when they became extinct. Ivory tusks were also taken as tribute in war. Most ivories were received already carved, as booty or as gifts from the Empire. (Oates 2001 226; Mallowan & Davies 1970 1; Herrmann 2008 225).

The Nimrud ivories have been identified as representing three separate styles: Assyrian, Phoenician, and Syrian, although it is suggested there is a ‘transitional’ style between the latter two. (Herrmann 2002 227). Given that the majority are believed to have arrived in Assyria as booty from across the Empire, this variation is not surprising, although they could also have been made at Nimrud by craftsmen from elsewhere.

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Figure 4: Ivory in Phoenician style (showing tenons used to affix it to furniture) British Museum 118147

The Assyrian style is mainly characterized by its technique, that is, the images are incised by a sharp instrument on a flat ivory surface. They also have a particular content, that is, with subjects also found on the relief sculptures: war scenes, processions, and protective gods etc. which decorate the rooms in the NW Palace in which they were found. Scholars are also able to date particular ivories by identifying changes in dress, posture etc. The image of Ashurnasirpal II is said to be an outstanding example of this style. (Mallowan 1978 12-25).

The Phoenician style is distinctive through its use of Egyptian imagery (figure 4) including gods, sundiscs, mythical animals and even hieroglyphs although the latter are usually meaningless. Such influence may not necessarily be obvious: the famous lioness mauling an African boy (figure 3)is in a field of lotus and lily plants but it is the style of the figures akin to pharaoh crushing his enemies which is derived from Egyptian art. (Mallowan 1978 26-43). Finally the Syrian style is arguably more artistic and three-dimensional, or sculptural, in its imagery. Many of these are heads and full length figures of women which may have been handles for other artefacts, and they include the ‘Mona Lisa’ referred to above (figure 5). Carved bulls and calves used on box lids are also in this style. (Mallowan 1978 44-59).

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Figure 5: famous ‘Mona Lisa’ face in Syrian style (Baghdad Museum)

The volume of ivories discovered has led to further analysis of their origins. The Phoenician style is attributed to the city states along the Mediterranean coast; and those in the Syrian style broken down by subject matter into particular cities across Syria. (Herrmann 2008 227-231).

The excavators of the 1960’s probably and reasonably assumed that apart from some incidental exploration and general tidying up, the site’s possibilities were largely concluded, but this proved not to be the case, in spectacular fashion. Graves with limited contents had previously been found just below floor level (Oates 2001 79).

However in 1988 work in the NW Palace by the Iraq Office of Antiquities and Heritage under Damerji designed to clear and prepare a room for access, identified unevenness in the floor which proved to be the ceiling of an impressive brick built vault (tomb I), comprising some steps to an antechamber and main chamber with a sarcophagus. This contained the body of a woman with her head resting on a silver bowl accompanied by a quantity of gold jewellery with precious stones. In addition there were vessels of bronze and copper. There was also a scarab with a (real) Egyptian inscription.

This exciting find prompted further investigation around the palace. The next year, 1989, a similar chamber (tomb II) was found in a nearby room. The antechamber had a stone funerary tablet which identified the occupant as Queen Yaba, the wife of Tiglath-pileser (745-729). The sarcophagus was surrounded by exotic grave goods and the two skeletons inside it were packed with a quantity of priceless grave goods numbering some 157 items, and including gold crowns, armlets, bracelets, chains, rings, and vessels, some 26kg in weight (Figure 6). From surviving fragments of material, the bodies had evidently been beautifully dressed; 700 tiny gold dress decorations were found with them. Inscriptions on a few artefacts refer to three queens: scholars have deduced that the second body is Queen Atalia the wife of Sargon II (721-

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7050) who had inherited inscribed items from Queen Baniti, wife of Shalmaneser V (726-722).

Figure 6: Some of the Nimrud Treasure (zindamagazine.com)

In that year, a further tomb (III) was found beneath the floor of an adjacent room. This tomb was largely empty apart from a sarcophagus whose inscription identified it as belonging to Queen Mullissu-mukannishat-Ninua, Queen of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859) who had founded Nimrud as the royal capital of Assyria. The antechamber however contained three bronze coffins containing a variety of bones and one a quantity of gold vessels and jewellery (figure 7). Inscribed objects suggest the presence of high status individuals, a ‘commander in chief’ and a ‘royal steward’ but the sequence of events leading to the disturbed and reorganized tomb remains unclear. Another tomb (IV) was found in 1990, with limited finds. (Oates 2001 78-90; Damerji 2002 81-82).

Figure 7: Gold artefacts from tomb III (National Geographic website)

The range and quality of the finds at Nimrud have been vital in developing our understanding of the Assyrian culture. The ivories have

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been used to study the development of the wheel and chariots, different military equipment, changes in modes of dress, animal husbandry, the flora and fauna of the time, and types of tribute and booty (Mallowan 1970 8-14). The Gold artefacts have been studied to understand the techniques used in terms of casting, hammering, weaving etc. But perhaps most significant is the comment that “the jewellery shows the Assyrians in a different light.. they often represented themselves as cruel and blood thirsty, but this demonstrates their appreciation of beautiful things.” (Youkhanna 2008 103-105).

Chris Allen March 2011.

Bibliography

Curtis, J E in Meyers, E M Ed. Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East Vol.4 Oxford Uni. Press 1997. Curtis, J E (et al.) New Light on Nimrud – Proceedings of the Nimrud Conference March 2002. Brit. Inst. for study of Iraq & Brit. Mus. 2008Damerji M An Introduction to the Nimrud tombs in Curtis 2008 above.Herrmann G The Ivories from Nimrud in Curtis 2008 above.Mallowan, M The Nimrud Ivories British Museum Pubs. 1978. Mallowan, M & Glynne Davies, L Ivories in Assyrian Style School of Archaeology in Iraq London 1970. Oates, J&D Nimrud: An Assyrian Imperial City Revealed Brit. School of Archaeology in Iraq 2001.Reade J Assyrian Sculpture British Museum Press Second Ed. 1998 (2009 reprint). Youkhanna D G Precision Craftsmanship of the Nimrud Gold Material in Curtis 2008 above.

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