A 2,700-year-old Assyrian carving was revealed at a ceremony in northern Iraq on Sunday after being discovered at an archaeological park. 

The carvings go back to the reigns of Sargon II (721 BCE–705 BCE) and his son Sennacherib (705 BCE–681 BCE), and they portray illustrations of kings praying to the gods. Archaeologists from Iraq's Kurdistan and Italy’s University of Udine oversaw the excavation since taking off in 2019.

Although there have been other rock relief discoveries, professor of Near Eastern archaeology at the University of Udine, Daniele Morandi Bonacossi, noted last year that none of the previous discoveries were as "huge and monumental."

Faida (20 km south of Duhok), the park where the carvings were found, is the first of five locations, according to AFP, that regional authorities hope will attract tourist traffic to the area. Iraq lost a portion of its cultural legacy this year. On the outskirts of the desert, 150 kilometers south of Babylon, lies a salt bed that was originally Sawa Lake. The spring-fed lake which was home to over 31 species of birds is now completely dry owing partially to climate change.

It is noteworthy to point out that Iraq is home to some of the oldest ancient cities in the world and a number of early civilizations such as the Assyrians, the Sumerians, and the Babylonians.

Archaeological remains were however threatened by war, conflict, and robberies. In addition, between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State group destroyed dozens of pre-Islamic treasures and smuggled archaeological artifacts to finance their operations. 

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