Nineveh and Its Remains: The Gripping Journals of the Man Who Discovered the Buried Assyrian Cities

An updated edition of the British explorer’s classic account of unearthing the ancient Assyrian empire’s capital city.
 
In the middle of the nineteenth century, British archeologist Austen Henry Layard uncovered parts of several ancient Assyrian cities buried beneath the earth, including the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, Nineveh. Nineveh was one of the greatest cities of its time and was an important religious center around 3000 BC. However, the city was sacked in 612 BC, and its citizens were either deported or murdered. From that time forward, the city remained unoccupied, until Layard’s excavation in the mid-1800s brought its treasures back into the world.
 
Layard, in this stunningly honest account, describes his journeys around Asia Minor, traveling by caravans to remote places with unfamiliar cultures, religious practices, and customs. He recounts discovering the vast city in the land of Nimrod, and excavating Bas-reliefs, winged lions, tombs, and large stone wall carvings, all of which were a part of the British Museum’s excavation and subsequent transfer to London. This new edition of Layard’s classic narrative is sure to make a stunning gift for any history or archeology buff.
 
“In addition to a detailed account of the excavation and discoveries, Layard’s text is a lively travel narrative, filled with details of local life and customs, political intrigue between Ottoman rulers and Arab tribesmen, and observations on the situation of religious minorities in Iraq and Persia.” —Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU)