Nineveh is a lost and buried city in Iraq, Asia. Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage gives its chronology as “Capital c. 705-612 BCE.” Its listed material is Mud brick.
The vast Assyrian capital of Sennacherib, with walls about 12 km around.
What makes it extraordinary
Emergency Siege Fortifications
Evidence of Nineveh's final defense in 612 BC is preserved in the physical modifications made to its gateways. At both the Adad Gate and the Halzi Gate, archaeologists discovered that the original 4-metre-wide passageways had been hastily narrowed to only 2 metres using mudbrick. These desperate measures were intended to restrict enemy access during the siege by the Medes and Babylonians. Excavations in the Halzi Gate passageway further confirmed the violence of the city's fall, uncovering human remains belonging to the last defenders of the Assyrian capital.
Logistics of Colossal Stone Statuary
The principal doorways of Sennacherib's palace were flanked by colossal stone lamassu—winged lions or bulls with human heads—weighing up to 30,000 kilograms. These massive figures were quarried at Balatai and transported 50 kilometres to the site. Pictorial records in the palace reliefs document the labor-intensive process, showing teams of 44 men towing a single statue on a barge, while three directors stood atop the colossus to coordinate the movement. Once at Nineveh, the statues were lifted 20 metres, likely via ramps, for final carving.
ISIL Destruction and Rescue Archaeology
Between 2014 and 2017, Nineveh suffered extensive damage under ISIL occupation, including the bulldozing of the Mashki, Nergal, and Adad Gates. The shrine of the Prophet Jonah on Tell Nebi Yunus was destroyed, though this led to the discovery of a 3,000-year-old palace in the tunnels dug by the occupiers. Since 2019, international teams from the University of Heidelberg and the University of Bologna have conducted rescue projects, restoring the Adad Gate and uncovering seven alabaster carvings from Sennacherib's reign at the Mashki Gate in 2022.
The Ninevite 5 Archaeological Horizon
The Early Bronze Age at Nineveh is defined by the 'Ninevite 5' period (c. 3000–2500 BC), a chronological marker characterized by distinct pottery found across Upper Mesopotamia. This era is subdivided into Early Ninevite 5, noted for its painted pottery, and Late Ninevite 5, which features incised wares. The period is contemporary with the Early Transcaucasian culture and the Jemdet Nasr period in southern Mesopotamia. Notable finds include 'Scarlet Ware,' a colorful painted pottery first documented in the Diyala River basin and later found in the Hamrin Basin.
Neolithic Foundations and Copper Smelting
Archaeological deep soundings at Nineveh reveal that the site was founded as early as 6000 BC during the late Neolithic period, with layers corresponding to the Hassuna culture. By the Chalcolithic period (c. 5000 BC), it transitioned into an Ubaid village and eventually a proto-city of 40 hectares by 4000 BC. The greater Nineveh area played a critical role in the diffusion of metallurgy; it was the first location outside Anatolia to smelt copper, utilizing ore transported from the mines at Ergani.
Engineering the South West Palace
Under Sennacherib around 700 BC, Nineveh was transformed into a major capital featuring the South West Palace, known as the 'palace without a rival.' This massive structure measured approximately 503 by 242 metres and contained at least 80 rooms, many decorated with intricate sculptures. The palace's foundation alone required roughly 2,680,000 cubic metres of material, consisting of approximately 160 million bricks and limestone blocks. This foundation rose 22 metres high, with mud-brick walls extending an additional 20 metres above it.
The Twelve-Kilometer Wall System
Nineveh was enclosed by a massive 12-kilometre fortification wall system dating to approximately 700 BC. The defenses consisted of a 6-metre-high ashlar stone retaining wall topped by a mudbrick wall 10 metres high and 15 metres thick. The stone portion featured projecting towers spaced every 18 metres, finished with three-step merlons. Fifteen great gates originally penetrated these walls, including the Shamash Gate, which featured a unique 20-metre outward projection, and the Nergal Gate, the only entrance known to be flanked by stone lamassu sculptures.
Sennacherib's Regional Hydraulic Network
To support its population of 100,000 to 150,000 inhabitants, Sennacherib engineered an elaborate water supply system for Nineveh. This network included eighteen canals that channeled water from the surrounding hills to the city. A significant component of this infrastructure was a magnificently constructed aqueduct discovered at Jerwan, located approximately 65 kilometres away. Some scholars, including Stephanie Dalley, argue that this sophisticated irrigation system and the associated palace gardens were the actual site of the legendary Hanging Gardens, traditionally attributed to Babylon.
The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal
In 1849, British diplomat Austen Henry Layard unearthed the palace and library of Ashurbanipal at the Kuyunjiq mound. This discovery yielded approximately 22,000 cuneiform clay tablets, providing a vast treasury of information on Neo-Assyrian religion, architecture, and history. While most of these materials were sent to the British Museum, some artifacts were dispersed to other institutions like the Metropolitan Museum. Despite later attempts by Leonard William King to find a second library at the Temple of Nabu, no additional major collection was recovered from that specific site.
Uruk Expansion and River Navigation
During the Uruk Expansion (c. 3300–3100 BC), Nineveh served as a vital trade colony due to its strategic geography. It was established as the highest navigable point on the Tigris River, mirroring the function of Habuba Kabira on the Euphrates. Excavations of this 'Nineveh IV' layer have yielded characteristic Uruk artifacts, such as beveled rim bowls. This position allowed the settlement to dominate regional trade routes before it evolved into the influential center of the Ninevite 5 period.
