The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-23 00:00:00

ASSYRIAN RESEARCHES AND
DISCOVERIES.

THE following interesting account of Assyrian re-
searches and discoveries is contained in the last
annual report of the Royal Asiatic Society, and is a
summary of the progress in this department of
archreological research made by Colonel Raw-
LLISOn

" The most recent, as well as the most important,
discovery, in an historical and geographical point of
view, is that of another obelisk, in the south-east
corner of the great mound of Nimrod, and erected
by Shamasphul, the son of Shalamhara, or Shalam-
chara, who raised the similar and well-known
obelisk in the British Museum.
" This obelisk is described as being six feet nine
inches in height, and nine feet square. It is of very
fine limestone, and is rounded at the top. On one
side a king is boldly represented within an arched
frame,' having the Assyrian symbols over the head,
and the cross, like that of Malta, on his breast. The
obelisk is of more irregular and uncouth shape than
the one we have. There is an inscription on the
other three sides of this obelisk, casts of which have
been sent to Colonel Rawlinson, at Bagdad. They
are in the Hieratic Assyrian character, of which a
specimen exists in London upon Lord Aberdeen's
black stone; but the alphabet varies in some points
from the ordinary Assyrian character, and it required
some study before it could be read with fluency.
The difference, however, is not greater, perhaps,
than that which exists between some of the more
ornate forms of what we call Old English, or black
letter, and the ordinary type of our printed books.
The date of the obelisk is about the beginning of the
eighth century B.C. The inscription is divided into
four columns, and contains 225 lines. It begins
with the usual invocations to the gods of Assyria,
and then goes on to record, in the following words, a
domestic revolution begun by his elder brother—
' Ashur-dan-pal raised a revolt against his father,
Shalamhar. As my elder brother he was guardian
of the whole country (?), but he threw it into revolt
and prepared for battle. The men of Upper and
Lower Assyria he joined with him, and he appointed
leaders to command the cities and to lead the inha-
bitants to battle to fight for him.' Then follows a
list of twenty-seven cities, most of which are obscure,
but the concluding names are well known. The in-
scription proceeds—' These twenty-seven strong
places revolted against Shalamhar, my father, and
adhered to Ashur-dan-pal. By the assistance of the
great gods I reduced them all under my yoke.'
" Then follow the details of the King's wars. In
his first year he invades the frontiers of Nahiri
(Naharaina), and fixes the limits of Assyria Proper.
In his second year he sends his general, Mulil Ashur,
against Nahiri, and this chief prosecutes his expedi•
tion as far as the sea of the setting sun (either the
Euxine or the Mediterranean). His chief antagonist
is KhuNsina, son of Mikdiana, and in this campaign
many cities are taken, enemies slain, and plunder
carried off. In the third year the King crosses the
Zab, and passes through Isibar to Nahiri ; receives
the tribute of Dadiya and others. On this passage
the colonel remarks, ' I sin now of opinion that
Bartsu cannot be Persia. It is evidently a part of
Armenia, being joined, both here and on the old
obelisk, with Minni or Ararat.' The inscription then
details the tribute exacted, relates the ravages and
plunder of Milida (?), and describes the campaign in
this mountainous country. The triumphant King
proceeds onwards to Zirruppunda, and receives the
tribute of several kings, whose names are doubtful.
The campaign in Zirruppunda is described in detail.
A King named Perishat is carried into slavery, and
the usual plunder follows. The conqueror receives
the tribute of the city of Isihara, and there erects a
stell, on which he inscribes the laws and ordinances
of Asshur, and the feats of arms achieved by his
soldiers in the conquest of Nahiri; he marches on
t 3 Mata (Media), and describes the campaign in
that quarter. The chief city is named Nabit. He
next attacks Shirtsuarta, chief of Arazias, and
details his conquest, and the submission, tribute, &c.,
of his opponent. Then follows a list of tributaries
who made their submission, containing twenty-six
names of chiefs, and their cities, and they are all
more or less connected with Scutira (?) and Artaziari,
King of Nahiri. These names are all new, and many
of them difficult to read, but they will be useful in
etymology.
The royal zecord then gives a list of the tribute
raised, and says that, by the grace of the gods, the
lung imposes the yoke of Assyria upon all the
countries which extended from the mountain district
of Isiba, as far t 0..9 the sea of the setting sun, that is,
over the whole of Asia Minor and the Taurus range.
The annals then go on as follows In my fourth
year, in the month of Si (?), on the 15th day, I set
out, for the country of Babylonia. I crossed the
Lab ; on the skirts of the mountains I killed three
wild bulls. I ravaged the country of Epiteh, and
captured the temple of the city on the river Turnat,'