Penn Museum helps make historic find in Northern Iraq
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Penn Museum has helped to make a historic find in northern Iraq. An Assyrian palace in the ancient city of Nimrud has been uncovered.
Experts say the most significant artifacts include sculptures in their original positions.
An Iraqi excavation team worked with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Museum to find the palace.
"It's truly amazing to have the opportunity to solve these archaeological puzzles -- excavating new areas of Nimrud and the trenches of Victorian-era antiquarians," Dr. Michael Danti, the lead archaeologist on the community-led excavation project, said.
"Previous errors in documentation were compounded over the last 170 years with each publication about the palace," Danti added. "This re-discovery of the lustration slab and the tram rail, for example, proves that previous archaeologists, like Layard, made significant mistakes. In this instance, Adad-Nirari's palace resembles those of his royal ancestors."
It's located about 20 miles south of Mosul and dates back 2,800 years ago.