New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-06-14
New Discoveries at Nineyah.

The London Assyrian Excavation Society have
just issued most satisfactory report of the
progress Of their agent at Babylonia. The fol-
lowing extract is Of the highest interest:
In addition to the discoveries mentioned by
Mr., LOTUS, the committee have to announce
that new palace has been found at Nineveh, in
the mound of Kouyinjink, of which Col Rawlin-
son reports in the following terms
"a most beautiful palace has recently been
discovered in Nineveh, belonging to the son of
Esar Haddon The sculptures are infinitely
superior in variety of subject, in artistic treat
ment, and in skill and delicacy of execution, to
every thing which has been before found The
palace, also, is Of great EXTENT containing, per-
haps, FIVE hundred sculptured slabs, and the
marbles are generally in good state Of preser-
vation."
| In another letter, he adds:
| ssThe new palace is by far the most maenifi-
! cent thing yet discovered in Assyria Each hall,
room and passage is devoted to separate sub
/ ject, and where the series is complete, and the
sculpture we'll preserved, as not infrequently
happens, is of extraordinary interest. In fact,
the variety of subject, artistic grouping and
treatment, high relief, richness of detail and
delicacy of execution, entitle the palace to be
reckoned the chef-d'RuUre Of Assyrian art.
/ Some of the pavement slabs are most superb
and the animals, trees, and flowers, even the
| human figures, are much more natural and free
from eonyentionalities than in any of the earlier
palrces. There are between two and three hun
bred sculptured slabs already uncovered, and
not above one-half of the palace IS yet explored
i Colossal bulls and lions there ara none, but
monsters, centaurs, hippogryphs, etc., there are
as many as you please.
/ At one of the entrances there are pair Of
round ornamented pedestals, which certainly
supported columns; but as there are no remains
of such columns, they must have been formed, ]
suppose, of wood
'FOn one slab there is city with double
/ wall, and within, a temple, faced with a row Of
columns supported on the back of animals. On
another there is q mound, on the top of which is
castle; and, to give more extent to the upper
/ platform, a eauseway is run out from the top Of
the masonry, with sharp pointed arches stretch
ing down the side of the mound"
| Another private letter, from a gentleman re-
siding at Mosul, speaks in the same terms OF
praise Of these new discoveries, and adds some
| further particulars regarding the subjects OF
the sculptures. In speaking of the slab repre-
senting the palace or temple, alluded to above,
he says: Ii represents very minutely the ex-
| terror architecture. The second story IS built
with pillars which have their bases on the backs
of lions and human-headed bulls, with their
heads turned like those found at Khorsabad.' %
| He also mentions the representation of a bridge
with three pointed arches, and other particulars
| illustrative of the architecture of the period
One of the best executed slabs represents a
lion hunt.
"In this scene" he says, g the king is the
principal huntsman, and is in the act Of striking
lance into lion springing upon his chariot,
while seven others, already pierced by many
arrows, some Of which are dead and others
dying, are most beautifully and naturally por-
trayed upon the slabs. On another slab they
have represented park, with open gate,
through which is seen the king hunting lions,
executed on very minute scale, as if they in
tended it to appear far in the distance"
He concludes by saying g that the art dis
played in the treatment of both men and animals
in these bas.relefs surpasses every thing dis
covered in the ruins of Assyria.''
The committee take this opportunity of calling
the attention of subscribers to the progress re-
Gently made in the deciphering of the inserip-
tons. which comprise the Identification of all the
Assyrian kings mentioned in the Bibie--of many
of those whose names occur in profane history
extending the chronology of Assyria to period
| ofabout two thousand years before Christ. An
almost perfect series of the names of the ancient
kings of Assyria has also been discovered, and
numerous Illustrations Of the sacred Scriptures,
Of the highest interest