Iraqi Archaeologists make discoveries in the wreckage

MOSUL, Iraq —  The archaeological sites in Mosul, Iraq were destroyed by the Islamic State (ISIS) after being looted.

ISIS filmed the destruction and circulated it via the social media.

Mosul in northern Iraq encompasses what was once Nineveh, the largest city in the 7th century BC and capital of Assyria, the world’s first superpower.

In 2014, ISIS took control over Mosul. The Islamist militants destroyed artifacts and buildings — mostly shrines that were sacred to other Muslim sects — saying they were forms of idolatry. But they also targeted sites for looting and to get attention, filming the destruction and sharing it in propaganda videos online.

Sifting through the wreckage after ISIS control, archaeologists have gained new insights into this great ancient city.

ISIS militants also attacked the Mosul Cultural Museum and proudly displayed their destruction online.

ISIS also destroyed artifacts dating back thousands of years, with sledgehammers, drills and explosives.

“This is the civilization that produced modern knowledge, philosophy, culture and science,” Zaid Ghazi Saadallah, director of the Mosul Cultural Museum.

At Nebi Yunus, a site outside Nineveh, Maul ventures into a labyrinth of tunnels created by ISIS. They built 650 m of pathways by hand so they could loot an Assyrian palace, which was under a mosque that was believed to house the tomb of the prophet Jonah.

archaeologists have made other discoveries. They’ve learned more about King Sennacherib, who built the palace, and unearthed clues that are changing our understanding of Assyrian arts and culture.

Mosul Museum has become a symbol of the resistance of Mosul. International teams are working to repair and reconstruct artifacts that ISIS sought to destroy.