In a significant archaeological find in northern Iraq, researchers unearthed a 2,700-year-old alabaster sculpture of the winged Assyrian deity, Lamassu. Remarkably, the monumental piece remained mostly intact despite its considerable size.

Positioned at the gateway of the ancient city of Khorsabad, located about 15 kilometres to the north of present-day Mosul, the sculpture depicts Lamassu, an Assyrian god characterized by a human face, a bull’s physique, and avian wings.

Its head had previously been located in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, after being seized from smugglers during the 1990s, explained the excavation’s French leader, Pascal Butterlin.

Speaking about the monumental 18-tonne, 3.8 by 3.9 metres sculpture, Butterlin expressed his awe, “Unearthing something of this magnitude is a rarity.” He added, “Usually, such large pieces are associated with digs in Egypt or Cambodia. The intricacy of the details on this sculpture is truly astonishing.” Butterlin serves as a professor of Middle East archaeology at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne.

The impressive sculpture once stood sentinel at the gates of the ancient city of Khorsabad, approximately 15 kilometres north of present-day Mosul. Depicting Lamassu, it features a human head, a bull’s body, and bird’s wings. The piece was commissioned during King Sargon II’s reign (722-705 BC) and symbolized protection for the city.

French archaeologist Victor Place first mentioned the sculpture in the 19th century. It later disappeared from public view until the 1990s when the Iraqi government marked it for “urgent attention.” Tragically, during this timeframe, thieves stole the head, dividing it into sections for illegal transport overseas.

Fortunately, the remainder of the sculpture evaded damage during the Islamic State’s control in 2014, thanks to the quick-thinking residents of modern-day Khorsabad. Before seeking refuge in safer areas, they concealed the ancient relic, preserving a significant piece of their heritage, recounted Butterlin.

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