8 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, working with an Iraqi excavation team, have unearthed a large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

Archaeologists have uncovered more monumental finds in Nimrud, one of the heritage sites severely damaged by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Iraq.

Among the new relics discovered at the site are those from a 3,000-year-old temple dedicated to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war and the goddess with the earliest written evidence.

During earlier excavations in Nimrud, the same team revealed a 2,800-year-old palace belonging to an Assyrian king Adad-Nirari III, who reigned from 810–783 BCE.

This season, the team continued working inside the palace and expanded its efforts to include the Temple of Ishtar, which burned when Nimrud was sacked by an invading army in 612 BCE.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



A fragment of the stone stele depicting Ishtar inside a starburst. Photo: University of Pennsylvania
A fragment of the stone stele depicting Ishtar inside a starburst. Photo: University of Pennsylvania

Chief among their finds were fragments of a large stone monument that depicts the goddess Ishtar inside a star symbol.

“Our greatest find this season was a spectacular fragment from the stone stele that shows the goddess Ishtar inside a star symbol. This is the first unequivocal depiction of the goddess as Ishtar Sharrrat-niphi, a divine aspect of the goddess associated with the rising of the planet Venus, the ‘morning star,’ to be found in this temple dedicated to her,” Dr. Michael Danti, Program Director of the Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program and archeologists at the University of  Pennsylvania, said in a statement.

This season’s new discoveries largely focus on the splendor of Adad-Nirari III’s rule and ancient Nimrud’s affluence. Two enormous stone column bases that the archaeologists discovered suggest the palace was grandly decorated with exquisitely carved columns. Evidence of a sizable stone basin, which the researchers think may have served as a central heating system, was found inside the throne room.

In addition, they discovered scattered pieces of ostrich eggshell and ivory, both of which were rare and would have been extremely valuable in the early Bronze Age.

Penn Museum

Related Articles

The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: The Dark Age of Ancient Scrolls Ends

2 May 2025

2 May 2025

Artificial intelligence, often envisioned for future applications, is now playing a pivotal role in unraveling the mysteries of the past....

Complex Of Early Neolithic Monuments Discovered In Herefordshire, England

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

Archaeologists discovered a remarkable complex of early Neolithic monuments while investigating the area around Dorstone Hill in Herefordshire, England. The...

An inscription with the name of the ancient city was found at the excavation site in Gordion, the capital of the Phrygians

8 August 2022

8 August 2022

An inscription bearing the name of the ancient city was found at the excavation site in Gordion, the capital of...

1,800-Year-Old Sanctuary to Mithras discovered in Spain

8 February 2023

8 February 2023

Archaeologists excavating at Villa del Mitra in Cabra, Spain, have uncovered a sanctuary dedicated to the god Mithras, along with...

According to researchers, the bones discovered underneath St. Peter’s Basilica may not be his

5 June 2021

5 June 2021

Three Italian researchers have voiced doubts about whether St. Peter’s bones are buried underneath the Rome basilica that bears his...

Ancient Celtic Bone Pen Found in Southern Germany

14 December 2024

14 December 2024

From August to October this year, the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (LAD) in the Stuttgart Regional Council...

Royal Shipwreck From 17th century Is discovered Off the Coast of England

11 June 2022

11 June 2022

Off the coast of England, a royal shipwreck has been unearthed. The Gloucester, one of the most renowned ships of...

From Türkiye to Iraq: Returning 6,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets That Unlock Ancient Mesopotamia

2 July 2025

2 July 2025

Türkiye has made a significant contribution to cultural diplomacy and historical justice by returning six ancient cuneiform clay tablets to...

A 2,000-year-old ancient “mirror” throws light on aristocratic life in China

17 May 2022

17 May 2022

Archeologists in Beijing have successfully reconstructed a 2,000-year-ago dressing mirror once cherished by the high nobility during the Han Dynasty....

Turkey Adds New Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

30 April 2021

30 April 2021

Two additional cultural objects have been added to Turkey’s World Heritage Tentative List, bringing the total number of cultural assets...

High school student discovered a 1500-year-old ancient Magical Mirror

9 August 2023

9 August 2023

 A High school student discovered an ancient “magical mirror” meant to ward off the evil eye in an archaeological excavation...

Millefiori Glass Plateques From the 5th Century AD Discovered in the Ancient Lycian City of Myra

9 September 2024

9 September 2024

One of the six leading cities of ancient Lycia and the birthplace of Santa Claus (or Sinterklaas in Dutch), the...

Historic bath set to turn into gastronomy gallery

4 May 2024

4 May 2024

Built between 1520 and 1540 in the Sur district of the eastern province of Diyarbakır, the historic Çardaklı Hamam is...

1500-year-old Elite tombs were discovered vicinity of the ancient seaport of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Polish archaeologists have discovered a tomb complex near the ancient port of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt. Archaeologists from the University...

Archaeologists Uncover Double-Headed Ritual Hearths in Anatolia’s Tadım Mound

17 August 2025

17 August 2025

Governor Numan Hatipoğlu announced on his official X account that archaeologists at Tadım Castle and Mound (Tadım Höyük) have uncovered...