HEIDELBERG, Germany – A team of German archaeologists from Heidelberg University has made a remarkable discovery in Iraq: a monumental stone relief depicting King Ashurbanipal—the last great ruler of the Assyrian Empire—alongside two major deities and other religious figures. Unearthed in the throne room of the North Palace in the ancient city of Nineveh, the find is being hailed as one of the most significant of its kind in decades. The findings were announced via press release on May 13, 2025.
For many modern Pagans, Ishtar is embraced in Goddess spirituality, feminist Paganism, and some Wiccan and Reclaiming traditions as a powerful archetype of love, war, and transformation. Her myth of descent into the underworld is often interpreted as a metaphor for spiritual initiation and personal growth. She features prominently in rituals, poetry, and trance work, especially among practitioners who focus on divine femininity. The legacy of Ishtar—especially as a fierce, sovereign goddess—continues to resonate strongly in modern ritual and spiritual narratives, marking her as a prominent bridge between ancient myth and contemporary Pagan practice.
Ashur—the supreme god of the Assyrian Empire—is also revered in some modern Pagan paths though he also remains strongly associated as a cultural symbol for some modern Assyrians. Ashur is often used as a symbol of Assyrian heritage, pride, and ancient sovereignty. His name is preserved in the term Assyrian itself, and the ancient city of Aššur (in modern-day Iraq) is regarded as a spiritual and historical homeland. The Assyrian flag, designed in the 20th century, includes a star symbol that some interpret as referencing Ashur or the sun deity Shamash—both representing divine protection and cultural continuity.
Fragment of the discovered relief. | © Schmitt [Courtesy University of Heidelberg
The stone slab, measuring 5.5 meters in length, 3 meters in height, and weighing approximately 12 tons, was discovered in fragments within an earth-filled pit behind a wall niche. According to Prof. Dr. Aaron Schmitt, head of the excavation project and a scholar at the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology at Heidelberg, the relief originally occupied a niche opposite the main entrance of the throne room—an area considered the most important space within the palace.
“This was a place of prominence and power,” said Schmitt. “The relief would have been one of the first images seen upon entering the throne room. Its positioning emphasizes its political and religious significance.”
What makes the discovery particularly extraordinary is not just the sheer scale and preservation of the relief, but the subject matter itself. “Among the many relief images of Assyrian palaces we know of, there are no depictions of major deities,” Schmitt emphasized. “This depiction is truly unique.”
The relief portrays King Ashurbanipal (reigned 668–627 BCE) flanked by two of the most important Assyrian gods: Ashur, the chief deity of the Assyrian pantheon, and Ishtar, the city goddess of Nineveh and a prominent figure associated with love, war, and political power. Following them are two mythical beings: a fish-cloaked genius who symbolizes life and salvation, and a supporting figure with raised arms, likely a scorpion-man, a creature often associated with protection and the boundary between the mortal and divine.
“These figures suggest that a massive winged sun disk was originally mounted above the relief,” said Schmitt, referencing a common motif in Mesopotamian art symbolizing divine presence and protection.
3D model of the relief: The finds are marked in dark gray, the light gray part represents a reconstruction based on the finds. King Ashurbanipal is depicted in the center, flanked by the god Ashur (left) and Ishtar, patron goddess of Nineveh (right). They are both followed by a fish genius and a supporting figure with 1/4 raised arms. | © Michael Rummel [Courtesy University of Heidelberg
The relief was found buried in a pit that researchers believe dates back to the Hellenistic period, in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. Schmitt notes that the burial of the fragments likely contributed to their preservation—and may explain why British archaeologists who explored the North Palace in the late 19th century missed them entirely. Those earlier expeditions did uncover other significant reliefs, now housed in the British Museum in London, but none featured major deities in direct association with the Assyrian monarch.
“The fact that these fragments were buried is surely one reason why the British archeologists never found them over a hundred years ago,” Schmitt observed.
The discovery was made at Kuyunjik, the mound that marks the site of ancient Nineveh near present-day Mosul in northern Iraq. Nineveh, one of the most important cities in Mesopotamia, became the capital of the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib in the late eighth century BCE. The North Palace, where the relief was found, was constructed by Ashurbanipal himself.
Since 2022, Schmitt and his team have been conducting excavations at this site as part of the Heidelberg Nineveh Project, launched in 2018 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Stefan Maul of Heidelberg’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. The goal is to deepen scholarly understanding of Nineveh’s history, religion, and material culture.
Although the excavation team has not yet subjected the findings to peer review, they intend to analyze the data and publish their results in a scientific journal in the coming months. “We hope that our future excavations will give us a clearer picture,” Schmitt noted, adding that many questions remain—particularly regarding the reasons behind the relief’s burial and the attitudes of later populations toward the Assyrian legacy.
“There’s still so much we don’t know about Nineveh during the Hellenistic period,” Schmitt told Live Science. “We don’t know whether they had a negative attitude towards the Assyrian king and the Assyrian gods.”
In consultation with Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), there are now plans to eventually restore the relief to its original location within the North Palace and open it to the public. Such a move would mark a significant moment in both cultural heritage preservation and public history.
As archaeologists piece together the past from these fragments, the relief not only sheds new light on Assyrian religion and kingship but also offers a rare glimpse into how divine imagery was used to reinforce imperial authority. In the words of Schmitt: “This find is a rare and invaluable window into the spiritual and political world of one of history’s most powerful empires.”
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