Table Of Contentoi.uchicago.edu
N I M R U D
THE QUEENS' TOMBS
by
MUZAHIM MAHMOUD HUSSEIN
translation and initial editing by
MARK ALTAWEEL
editing and additional notes by
MCGUIRE GIBSON
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IRAQI STATE BOARD OF ANTIQUITIES AND HERITAGE
THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
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Muzahim Mahmoud Hussein
Muzahim Mahmoud Hussein, as a scholar
and an official of the Iraqi State Board of
Antiquities, has dedicated his life to the
archaeology of Northern Iraq, carrying out
important excavations and restorations on
Assyrian cities. The Northwest Palace at
Nimrud, built by Ashurnasirpal II, was his
special concern, and the Queens’ Tombs,
which he discovered there, were among the
most important archaeological finds in the
world in the twentieth century. The deliberate
destruction of the palace by the Islamic State
erased much of his work, but this book serves
as a record of the tombs.
Cover and Spine Illustrations
Front: Restored gold crown of Queen Hama.
Tomb III. ND 1989.309. Plates 129–32. Spine:
Logos of the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and
Heritage, Baghdad, and the Oriental Institute of
the University of Chicago. Back: Gold collar.
Tomb II. ND 1989.16. Plate 46a.
Endsheet Illustrations
This page: Photo of Tomb III burial chamber,
looking south, showing stone doors blocking
entrance. Rendering. Plates 95, 97.
Facing page: 1989: 1 (crown), 19 (earrings), 108
(necklace), 282a–b (rings), 10a–b (bracelet),
117 (clothing ornaments), 15a–b (anklets).
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About the Book
Muzahim Hussein’s discovery in 1989 of tombs
of Neo-Assyrian queens in the palace of Ashur-
nasirpal in Nimrud (Kalhu/Calah) was electrify-
ing news for archaeology. Although much was
known of the Assyrian kings, very little was
known before this about the queens, with the
exception of the semi-mythical Semiramis. Now,
for the first time, not only were actual remains
of 9th–8th centuries b.c. Assyrian queens, but
also names and attempts through curses to
protect the burials. Elaborate gold jewelry and
other items in the tombs rivaled in quality and
quantity that found in Egyptian royal tombs. A
short scholarly publication of a few items, as
well as limited coverage in the world’s press,
gave only hints of the importance of the objects
in the tombs. Planned international exhibitions
of the treasures from the tombs had to be can-
celled due to war and sanctions. Nimrud: A City
of Golden Treasures by Hussein and Amer Su-
leiman (2000), published under extraordinarily
difficult conditions, could not do justice to the
objects. The present volume, a joint publica-
tion of the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and
Heritage and the Oriental Institute, is a new
version of the finding of the tombs and their
contents, giving much additional information
derived from Hussein’s continued analyses of
classes of artifacts, accompanied by numerous
full color plates.
Mark Altaweel and Muzahim Hussein at work
on the Nimrud materials in Istanbul, 2011.
Endsheet Illustrations
Facing page: 1989: 4 (dish), 334 (seal), 2
(vial), 173 (ladle), 197 (strainer), 191 (cup).
1992.195a (spoon).
This page: 1989: 6 (bowl), 172 (basin), 161
(lamp).
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ORIENTAL INSTITUTE MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS
available from THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE, 1155 EAST 58TH STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60637
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Nimrud: The Queens' Tombs. Muzahim Mahmoud Hussein, translation and initial editing by Mark
Altaweel and editing and additional notes by McGuire Gibson. 2016. Pp. xvi + 186; 218 plates
(many in color)
The Mosaics of Khirbet el-Mafjar: Hisham's Palace. Harden Téhé and Donald Whitcomb. 2015. Pp.
128; 156 color illustrations
Mesopotamian Pottery: A Guide to the Babylonian Tradition in the Second Millennium 8. C. lames
A. Armstrong and Hermann Gasche, with contributions by Steven w. Cole, Abraham Van As, and
Loe lacobs. joint publication with University of Ghent. 2014. Pp. xix + 102; 48 figures, 136 plates,
9 tables
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Nimrud
The QueeNs’ Tombs
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iraQi sTaTe board of aNTiQuiTies aNd heriTage
baghdad
republic of iraQ
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iii
Nimrud
The QueeNs’ Tombs
by
MuzahiM MahMoud hussein
translation and initial editing by
Mark altaweel
editing and additional notes by
Mcguire gibson
Photographs by donny george Youkhanna
Plans and drawings by lu’ay Mahmoud hussein and staff members
of the iraqi state board of antiquities and heritage
catalog by lindsey weglarz, Jessica henderson, and Mcguire gibson
technical assistance by alexandra witsell, katharyn hanson, and steven george Youkhanna
a project of the american academic research institute in iraq (taarii) with funds
from the national endowment for the humanities and the u.s. department of state
2016
Joint Publication
iraqi state board of antiquities and heritage, baghdad
the oriental institute of the universitY of chicago
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iv
library of congress control number: 2014949000
isbn-10: 1-61491-022-7
isbn-13: 978-1-61491-022-0
The Oriental Institute, Chicago
© 2016 by the university of chicago. all rights reserved.
Published 2016. Printed in the united states of america.
oriental institute Miscellaneous Publications
Series Editors
leslie schramer
and
thomas g. urban
with the assistance of
rebecca cain, zuhal kuru sharp, and emily smith
Spine Illustrations
logos
state board of antiquities and heritage,
baghdad, republic of iraq
and
the oriental institute of the university of chicago
Printed by Thomson-Shore, Dexter, Michigan, U.S.A.
the paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of american
national standard for information services — Permanence of Paper for Printed
library Materials, ansi z39.48-1984.
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