Iraqi Excavations at Ashur 2000

brief report

The Iraqi team directed by Hafidt al-Hayani has been digging in Ashur for the last two years. Their investigations are conducted under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities and Heritage. This work concentrates on the modern cemetery (so called ‘Gräberhügel’) on the hill opposite the ziqqurrat and the temple of Ashur, i. e. on the northern and eastern slope of it. Parthian and Late Assyrian structures has been excavated there. The Iraqi expedition has also opened some trenches in the central and western part of the site. In Assur West in the vicinity of our investigation area the Iraqi expedition dug on three places. In the biggest trench located northeast of German Operation 1 remains of three Late Assyrian houses were exposed. In one of them a clay tablet archive containing some 226 tablets was found.

Excavation report:

 H. al-Hayani, Aus den irakischen Grabungen in Assur 1999-2000: Spätassyrische Privathäuser in der Stadtmitte, MDOG 132 (2000) 55–63.