Ancient Assyrian artifact displayed at Sweden’s National Museum

STOCKHOLM — Sweden’s National Museum has unveiled a Assyrian tablet dating back over 3,000 years. Due to preservation concerns, the tablet had been stored in the museum’s archives for decades before its recent public exhibition.   

The official unveiling event, on 22 May, coordinated with the Syriac (Aramean-Assyrian-Chaldean) association in Sweden, drew hundreds of attendees, including prominent Syriac figures. The event featured traditional Syriac folk dances, historical costumes and cultural music.   

The tablet is believed to be part of a wall from the palace of Nimrud, though its journey to Sweden remains unclear. Records indicate Queen of Sweden and Norway Josephine donated it to the museum in 1866.   

Syriac politician Aday Beth Kinne of the Christian Democratic Party in Botkyrka Municipality highlighted the significance of such artefacts. 

“These cultural treasures not only showcase our ancestors’ rich contributions to human civilization but also reaffirm the identity of the Syriac (Aramean-Chaldean-Assyrian) people,” Beth Kinne stated.   

The museum display comes amid ongoing concerns about the looting and black-market trade of Mesopotamian artefacts due to regional conflicts.