Documentation, Protection and Preliminary Conservation of an Endangered Assyrian Canal and Rock Art Complex in the Duhok Governorate, Faida Salvage Project

The archaeological site of Faida, situated along the Tigris, 50 km north of Mosul, holds unique rock reliefs dating back to the 7th century BCE that represent Assyrian sovereigns and deities. These monumental representations, first discovered in the 1970s and partially excavated in 2019, were carved in connection with the development of extensive irrigation systems, a central feature of Mesopotamian civilizations. These exceptional reliefs have been partially damaged, mainly due to poor protection and negligence. The University of Udine and the Duhok Directorate of Antiquities collaborated on the preservation of these extraordinary monumental panels, recognized as one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the recent years and awarded the “International Archaeological Discovery Award Khaled al-Asaad.” After the assessment of the reliefs’ conservation state, urgent conservation intervention including stone and hydrogeological analysis was executed. In addition to documenting and building shelters and fences to protect the reliefs, a monitoring test area to assess the impact of atmospheric events on the canal and on the rock surfaces was created. The work carried out by the conservators and geologists resulted in a comprehensive scientific report so the reliefs could be safely displayed to visitors.