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The excavation

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Nimrud

The excavation of Fort Shalmaneser

Nimrud: Plan of Italian excavations at the gate of Fort Salmanassar’s outer walls
Nimrud. Plan of the excavations at the gate of Fort Shalmaneser’s outer walls

The excavation concentrated on the area of Fort Shalmaneser, a vast building that was extensively studied by the British School of Archeology in Iraq, along the walls of the lower city and along the fort’s outer walls.
Level 0 most likely dates back to Assurnasirpal II (883-859 B.C.) and pertains to the construction of the city walls that were found in the four extensive soundings performed along the walls of the lower city.

Level 1 dates back to Shalmaneser III (859-824 B.C.). The fort was built during this period. In the Italian excavations, this is attested by the rooms’ main walls and by the stone slab floor of the courtyard in front of them. The outer wall and the gate present in soundings A1, A2, A3 and A4 were also built during Shalmaneser III’s reign.

Plan of Italian excavations in the Southwest area of Fort Salmanassar
Plan of the excavations in the Southwest area of Fort Shalmaneser

Level 2 probably dates back to Adad-Narari III (810-783 a.C.), with minimum reconstructions inside the fort’s structures. This level’s chronology is hypothetical and is based on data provided by the British mission. The inner walls, running parallel to the fort’s outer walls, in areas A1 and A2, were also constructed during Adad-Narari III’s reign.

Plan of Italian excavations at the corner of the outer walls of Fort Salmanassar
Plan of the excavations at the corner of the outer walls of Fort Shalmaneser

Level 3 dates back to Esarhaddon (680-669 a.C.), the period in which the fort became Ekal Masharti; in this period, the building underwent considerable reconstruction. The central courtyard was subdivided into six rooms and a corridor; three doors, belonging to Room A1, were closed off and the floors are all made of pressed mud. A similar floors’ elevation was observed in the other excavation areas, where additional walls were also built (1-2-3 in purple). Level 4 does not display considerable variations in the site’s layout and displays only the elevation of all the rooms’ floors. It dates back to Sin-shar-ishkun (627-612 B.C.); most of the objects found in the fort probably belong to this level.

Partial view of a room of the outer wall of Level 3
Nimrud. Partial view of a room of the outer wall of Level 3

Level 5a-b-c dates back to the Neo-Babylonian period (post-612 B.C.): it is clearly visible in a new room built off axis, parallel to room A1 of the fort. The most extensive works performed on the corner of the outer walls and the entrance gate, which was closed and walled up, are also ascribable to this period.

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