Heidelberg team uncovers ISIS looting of Assyrian palace in Mosul

A German archaeological mission from Heidelberg University, led by Professor Peter Miglus, has discovered extensive looting by ISIS at the ancient palace of Assyrian king Sennacherib in Mosul, Iraq. After two months of exploration, the team found that militants had dug tunnels beneath the mosque of Prophet Jonah (Younis), destroyed in July 2014, to access the 8th-century BCE palace. The looters removed valuable artifacts for sale on the black market, leaving only small gold items too damaged to sell. Surviving elements include bas-relief panels with animal and human figures, an Egyptian gold ring with a scarab, and a small scepter with an ankh. The throne room, measuring 55 meters in length, is larger than others in the region. The site remains in fair condition and will contribute to knowledge of Assyrian civilization. The looting was part of ISIS's broader destruction of cultural heritage, which UNESCO says affected 66 sites between 2014 and 2017. Other losses include the Al-Nuri mosque (destroyed 2017, rebuilt with UAE support) and the palace at Nimrud, which was completely destroyed.