Urgent protection measures for lamassus sculptures in the site of Khorsabad-Nineveh

Lamassu are androcephalous winged bull sculptures typically placed as protective guardians at entrances to Assyrian palaces over 2,700 years ago. When Daesh occupied the region, they targeted and vandalized these sculptures. One of the lamassu escaped the destruction. The sumptuously sculpted monolith, weighing 18 tons and dating from the late 8th century BC, was buried by villagers to protect it from Daesh attacks. The missing head of this lamassu was cut off by looters in the 1990s and later recovered by Iraqi customs officials—it is now on display at the National Museum of Baghdad.

In October 2023, the French Archaeological Mission unearthed this last lamassu at the archaeological site of Khorsabad. Highly exposed and vulnerable to potential looting, the lamassu required urgent protection as a precautionary measure. ALIPH supported the construction of a protective canopy and the installation of security fencing.