Where We Work ::: Iraq Heritage Program

ASHUR SITE DESCRIPTION

Site Location
Ashur is an Iron Age site located on the west bank of the Tigris River in northern Iraq, near the modern city of Qalat Sharqat and about 110 km (68 mi) south of Mosul. The region around Ashur marks a transition zone between a wetter climate to the north and drier to the south. In the past, Ashur received a significant amount of rainfall and large irrigation projects were not needed to grow crops.

Site History and Importance
The earliest dated remains at Ashur come from circa 2500 BCE, so it was occupied at least by this period. Near the start of the 2nd millennium BCE Ashur became the first religious and administrative center for the Old Assyrian Empire. Many of Ashur’s monuments, such as the Ishtar temple, the fortification walls, and the Enlil Ziggurat may have been founded during this period. Throughout the 2nd millennium (during the Middle Assyrian period), various kings restored and rebuilt many of Ashur’s major buildings. During the reign of Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BCE), the center of government was transferred from Ashur to Kalhu (Nimrud). Although Ashur ceased to be an administrative capital it was valued as a religious center, and building projects continued in the city. In 614 BCE a Median army invaded the Assyrian Empire and destroyed the city of Ashur. Settlement after this point was limited, although Ashur regained some significance during the Parthian period during the 1st century BCE. The city was again destroyed in the third century by Shapur I (241-272 BCE), with no further settlement.

Site Importance
Ashur is one of the oldest and best documented trade centers of Mesopotamia.

Excavations
The ruins of Ashur were discovered in 1821 by a British traveler named Claudius Rich. The site was first excavated in 1847 by the British archaeologist, Austen Layard. More systematic excavations began in 1903 by a German team led by Walter Andrae. Andrae’s large scale excavations continued until 1914, focusing mainly on the temples and palaces of the Old City. Excavations on a smaller scale were carried out by the Department of Antiquities in Iraq in 1945, the Free University of Berlin under Reinhard Dittmann in 1988-89, and the University of Munich under Barthel Hrouda in 1989-90.

Excavation Reports

Andrae, Walter. Das wiedererstandene Assur. 2nd ed., revised by Barthel Hrouda. Munich, 1977 (essential summary and an extensive bibliography)
Dittmann, Reinhard. “Ausgrabungen der Freien Universitat Berlin in Assur und Kar- Tukuti-Ninurta in den Jahren 1986-1989.” Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschat 122 (1990): 157-171. (Preliminary report)
Dietmann, Reinhard. “Assur and Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta.” American Journal of Archaeology 96 (1992): 307-312. (Second preliminary report)
Hroude, Barthel. “Vorlaufiger Bericht Uber die neuen Ausgrabungen in Assur Fruhjahr 1990.” Mitteilungen der Deutshcen Orient-Gessellschaft 123 (1991): 85-109.
(Preliminary Report)

Interpretation of Satellite Image
The ancient settlement of Ashur is located at the junction of a former branch of the Tigris. The river provided some natural protection to the north and east, while a crescent shaped wall encircled the western and southern portions of the ancient city. Inside the fortification wall, the city was subdivided into two areas. The Old City to the north consists of temples, palaces, other forms of public architecture, and few domestic buildings. This area contained over 34 temples and 3 palaces. At present, only one third of the temples have been located. The New City to the south probably consists of domestic areas. Some areas of the town were spacious and open and others more densely occupied, suggesting different social and economic levels of settlement.

The site of Ashur has relatively little modern encroachment compared to similar sites in Iraq, because settlement at the site has not been continuous up to the modern time period. Instead, modern development and agriculture has primarily developed on the eastern side of the Tigris River and to the north of the archaeological site. However, there is some agricultural encroachment in the southern area of the site which has obscured some previously known architecture. Areas inside the defensive wall, i.e. the central city, do not have encroaching modern development. Another possible danger to the site is the proposed Makhoul Dam, which would be built 40 km south of the site. If completed, the southern part of the city would be flooded for certain periods of the year, with possible damage due to underground water seepage.

Click here for a general bibliography