Today, what was the ancient city of Nineveh is marked by two large mounds, Tell Kuyunjiq and Tell Nabī Yūnus “Prophet Jonah."
That is the area where a team of archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. have discovered some intricate rock carvings that are 2,700-years-old, Heritage Daily reports.
The area is just outside of the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Fadhil Mohammed, the head of the restoration works, said his team found eight murals that had inscriptions and drawings along with writings.
A joint Iraqi-American team of archaeologists digging in the ruins of an ancient palatial gate at the ancient site of Nineveh near Mosul have discovered stunning artworks last seen some 2,600 years ago I @NatGeo 🏺 https://t.co/zc8KBim9u9 pic.twitter.com/ld1hM3o9wf
— ICOM (@IcomOfficiel) November 4, 2022
ISIS carried out a campaign of destruction over a large part of Iraq and Syria in 2014 destroying archaeological sites to erase history. Theses were thankfully saved.
Fadhil Mohammed, head of the restoration works, said the team was surprised by discovering "eight murals with inscriptions, decorative drawings and writings."https://t.co/yV3RPvathA
— FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) October 29, 2022
“The writings show that these murals were built or made during the reign of King Sennacherib,” Mohammed said, speaking of the Neo-Assyrian empire king. That king ruled from 705 to 681BC.
Iraqi forces that were supported by a U.S. - international coalition was able to liberate Mosul from ISIS in 2017.