Two-meter stone door frame dating to 900–800 BC discovered in Nimrud, Iraq

NIMRUD, Iraq — A two-meter long stone used as the top of a door frame dating back to around the 900–800 BC was discovered in the historic city of Nimrud in western Iraq.

Archeologist Michel Danti from the University of Pennsylvania, who began research in the city last October, said it was a miracle that the stone was not destroyed by the Islamic State (ISIS) when they targeted historic Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian sites for destruction.

In November, the discovery of an ornate threshold of the Assyrian King Adad-Nirari III’s Gate in Nimrud was announced.

The gate was discovered during a follow-up excavation, re-examining an area excavated by Austin Henry Layard in the mid-19th century.

Nimrud is an important archaeological site that dates back to the 13th century BC. The site is considered a world archaeological treasure and is a candidate for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site that was vandalized by ISIS in 2015.

The site was first excavated by British archaeologist Austin Henry Layard between 1845 and 1851. In the 20th century, Max Mallowan took over the site in the 1950s. The Iraqi Antiquities Department then continued the excavation and some buildings were restored. Three royal tombs were discovered, which were excavated in the 1980s. They contained approximately 57 kg of jewelry made of gold and semi-precious stones. Foreign missions continued to work and excavate periodically in the city. In the spring of 2015, the site suffered significant damage at the hands of ISIS.