Dur-Sharrukin ("Fortress of Sargon"), present day Khorsabad, 15 km northeast of Mosul in northern Iraq, was the Assyrian capital in the time of Sargon II which is still today inhabited by Assyrians. The site was built in the decade preceding 706 BCE, but after Sargon's death, the capital was shifted to Nineveh. The site was looted in recent times, in 2008 a lamassu head from one of the palace gates was seized in the US after being shipped to a NY dealer from Dubia ('Stolen Artefacts to be Returned by US to Iraq' PACHI Sunday, 15 March 2015; and 'More on the Iraq Repatriation Ceremony' PACHI Tuesday, 17 March 2015). It was reported by the media that on 8th March 2015, ISIL started the demolition of Dur-Sharrukin (according to the Kurdish official from Mosul Saeed Mamuzini - see 'Ancient site Khorsabad attacked by Islamic State: reports', Toronto Star. 8 March 2015. These reports are as yet unconfirmed.
A blog commenting on various aspects of the private collecting and trade in archaeological artefacts today and their effect on the archaeological record.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Dur-Sharrukin ( Khorsabad) Reports
Dur-Sharrukin ("Fortress of Sargon"), present day Khorsabad, 15 km northeast of Mosul in northern Iraq, was the Assyrian capital in the time of Sargon II which is still today inhabited by Assyrians. The site was built in the decade preceding 706 BCE, but after Sargon's death, the capital was shifted to Nineveh. The site was looted in recent times, in 2008 a lamassu head from one of the palace gates was seized in the US after being shipped to a NY dealer from Dubia ('Stolen Artefacts to be Returned by US to Iraq' PACHI Sunday, 15 March 2015; and 'More on the Iraq Repatriation Ceremony' PACHI Tuesday, 17 March 2015). It was reported by the media that on 8th March 2015, ISIL started the demolition of Dur-Sharrukin (according to the Kurdish official from Mosul Saeed Mamuzini - see 'Ancient site Khorsabad attacked by Islamic State: reports', Toronto Star. 8 March 2015. These reports are as yet unconfirmed.
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