New Magnetic Survey Unveils Hidden Structures in Ancient Assyrian Capital of Khorsabad

A newly carried out magnetic survey has unveiled a number of beforehand unknown buildings on the historical Assyrian capital of Khorsabad in northern Iraq, in line with experiences. The web site, courting again 2,700 years, was initially established as Dur-Sharrukin, or “Fortress of Sargon,” by Neo-Assyrian Emperor Sargon II in 713 B.C. The discoveries embrace a sprawling villa with 127 rooms, royal gardens, and a water gate, difficult earlier assumptions that the town was left largely incomplete earlier than its abandonment within the eighth century B.C.

Details of the Survey and Findings

The findings, offered by Jörg Fassbinder, a geophysicist at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, in the course of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2024 Annual Meeting, have been obtained with out excavation. A magnetometer was operated by hand over 0.3 sq. kilometres of the positioning, revealing buildings far past the beforehand excavated palace advanced. The villa, described as being twice the scale of the White House, and different options counsel a stage of improvement beforehand unrecognised in Khorsabad.

Sarah Melville, a historian of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, commented in an electronic mail to Live Science that the non-invasive mapping method offered beneficial insights whereas preserving the integrity of the positioning. Melville’s observations spotlight the significance of utilizing superior instruments to achieve a extra complete understanding of historic capitals like Khorsabad.

Historical Context and Preservation Challenges

Sargon II’s demise in 705 B.C. resulted within the capital being deserted as his successor, Sennacherib, shifted focus to Nineveh. While Nineteenth- and early Twentieth-century excavations uncovered elements of the palace and iconic statues just like the Lamassu, important parts of the town remained unexplored. The web site additionally suffered harm throughout looting by the Islamic State in 2015, with archaeological work resuming solely after 2017.

Experts, resembling Daniele Morandi Bonacossi of the University of Udine, of their assertion have famous that this analysis fills important gaps by exploring non-monumental structure and concrete buildings, offering proof of a thriving neighborhood. The way forward for the newly recognized buildings stays unsure, as additional excavation choices are awaited.