Archaeologists Discover a Lamassu Statue at Dur-Sharrukin in Iraq

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Reported by the Biblical Archaeology Society:

A joint Iraqi-French excavation at the ancient site of Dur-Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad in northern Iraq) has uncovered an imposing Lamassu statue. The massive statue dates to the reign of Sargon II (r. 722–705 BCE), who built the city of Dur-Sharrukin (Akkadian for “the fortress of Sargon”) and made it the capital of the growing Neo-Assyrian Empire.

One of several Lamassus recovered from the ancient capital, this statue is remarkable for its incredible preservation, save for its missing head, which was looted from the site in 1995, but is today housed in the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad. According to France 24, the Lamassu, which is made out of alabaster, stands 12.5 feet tall, is nearly 13 feet long, and weighs approximately 20 tons. In antiquity, it was placed at the entrance to one of Dur-Sharrukin’s city gates, where it served as a protective spirit.