Colaborative Activity group: Denise Moraes Pinho George Araújo Maria Clara Guimarães Susana Silva Geremias

1. NAME OF THE PROJECT: Archaeological site of Nineveh,
Group: Denise Moraes Pinho, George Araújo, Maria Clara Guimaraes e Susana Silva Geremias
LOCATION
Country Iraq
Region State of Ninawa
City In the modern city of Mossul
Coordinates on the eastern bank of the Tigris River (Latitude: 36.3656772, longitude:
43.15883789999998)
Name of the
site/museu
m
Nineveh city ruins / Nineveh archeological site
OBJETC
Type
General
description
Historical place / archeological site.
Nineveh was the huge capital of the ancient Assirian empire in the 7th
century before Christ. One the greatest cities in antiquity. It's first
settlements date from 6000 B.C, and through the passing of the
centuries, turned into a very important worshiping center, with the
construction of Ishtar's temple. But only in Sennacherib times
Nineveh turned onto a great city.
It's widely mentioned on the Bible, since the Genesis, where it's said
it was created by the descendants of Ham (Gen. 10: 6-11). It's also
described as a big city. So big that it takes three days to go through it
(Jonah 3:2 - 3:3)
According to Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich, 2004 "[...] it was
sorrounded by rich irrigated farmlands, covered some nine square
miles, and had an estimated population of 120,000 people, an
enormous concentration for that time."
According to Alcook, Susan et all. "Nineveh, covering 750 hectares
and with some 100.000 inhabitants, was the largest urban
concentration ever seen in the world.".
In 612 B.C Nineveh was sacked by the Chaldeans, and the Assirian
empire crumbled.
According to Alcook, Susan et all "All Assyrian cities, including the
capital, were completely distroyed; the court and state
administration, the scribes and the armies, disappeared forever. On
the ruins of Nineveh, squatters stabilished their precarious shelters,
and when Xenophon crossed the region a couple of centuries later, he
met only villagers and brigands."
Today Nineveh ruins remains in the modern city of Mossul in Iraq
where many neo-assirian temples and palaces were brought to
light;
besides 12km of the citie's walls. Unfortunately, today, Nineveh ruins
are at serious risk due the political instability in the Middle East.

2. CHRONOLOHY
Date 7th - 6th century B.C.
SURVIVAL AND
POTENTIAL
Transformation
Actual use
Nineveh was settled in 6000 B.C. and, by 3000 B.C., had become an
important religious centre for worship of the goddess Ishtar, but the city was
constructed on a fault line, suffering, consequently, strong earthquakes. One
of this desasters destroyed the Ishtar's Temple, posteriorly, rebuilt in 2260
B.C. by the Akkadian king Manishtusu. After, the Amorites occupied the site
and their kings built more buildings and temples. The city grew, in size,
grandeur and fame, then, during the reign King Sennacherib
(704 BCE - 681 B.C.), Niniveh transformed in the capital of his Assyrian
Empire. In 625 B.C. the city was invaded and weakened by Babylonians,
Elamites, Medes and Scythians. The Babylonians and Medes sacked and
burned the city by 612 B.C. Due the Byzantine victory in the Byzantine-
Sassanid War (602-628 CE) the region became under Byzantine control until
the Muslim conquest of 637 AD. During many centuries Niniveh was
forgotten until being discovered by archaeologists. Nowadays, the city
suffers by the action of the terrorist's groups, having many constructions
destroyed, like the destruction of the Mashki and Adad Gates by the Islamic
State (ISIS), in April, 2016.
Since 2000 Nineveh was in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage List.
TECHNICAL
INFO
materials
measures
Many (stone, clay, adobe, etc.)
height (meters) width(meters) lenght(meters)
± 228 m ± 4828 m 150 stadia
(above sea level) (according to Diodorus
Siculus)
deepness(meters) diameter(meters) thickness(meters)
// ± 36.389 m //
weight(grams) surface(square meters) others
// 14 000 000 m² //

3. PRESERVATION
Condition of
the
object/monum
ent/ place
After the fall of the Assyrian Empire around 605 BC, Nineveh has lost most of
its importance and was virtually abandoned. In fact, before the XIXth century
searches by the French consul in Mosul and the excavations led by the British
Austen Henry Layard, Nineveh had been almost forgotten. Layard found the
royal palace and many small objects, but most of them were trasladed to
European museums. Excavations had taken place since then and perhaps the
most astonished discovery is the Ashurbanipal Library which contained
around ten thousand tablets using cuneiform script depicting history, law
and religion of Ancient Assyria.Nowadays, Nineveh struggles to preserve the
remains of its 12 km Walls and the reconstructed West Door. According to
World Monuments Watch Nineveh is one of the most endangerous
archaeological sites in the whole world. Despite its importance to history and
archaeology it is not protected by Iraqian authorities since the Gulf War.
Preservation is problematic due to vandalism, looting and proximity to
expanding suburbs and the Mosul Dam. The so-called Islamic State (ISIL) also
poses a serious threat to the existence of the ruins and it had already
destoyed a significant part of them. In 2015, ISIL had launched a terrorist
atack that destroyed or disfigurated the large statues of the archaeological
site of Hatra and a significant number of unique artefacts from excavations
that took place in Nineveh and were then located at the Museum of Mosul.
The actions had resulted in a public outcry by the internacional community.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. One with Nineveh, Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich, 2004
2. The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World, Chris Scarre 1999
3. Chronology and History in the Late Assyrian Empire (631-619 B.C),Nadav,
Na'aman, 1991 .
4. Empires, Edited by Susan E. Alcock, Terence N. D'Altroy, Kathleen D.
Morrison, Carla M.Sinopoli, 2001.
5. Habuba on the Tigris: Archaic Nineveh Reconsidered. Guillermo Algaze,
1986.
6. The fall of Nineveh: a poem. by Edwin Atherstone, 1897
7.http://m.megacurioso.com.br/historia-e-geografia/98663-11-maravilhas-
da-antiguidade-destruidas-pelo-extremismo-religioso.htm
8. AL JAZEERA Jazeera. ISIL video shows destruction of 7th century artifacts.
Al Jazeera, February 26, 2015. Available at
<http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/26/isil-seen-in-new-video-
destroying-7th-century-artifacts.html>. Access date September 25 , 2016.
9. https://www.biblegateway.com/quickse
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineveh
11. http://www.gps-coordinates.net/
12. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1465/
13.http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1483/
14.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150901-isis-destruction-
looting-ancient-sites-iraq-syria-archaeology/
15.http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/twhs.php?id=1465
16.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160419-Islamic-State-ISIS-
ISIL-Nineveh-gates-Iraq-Mosul-destroyed/

4. 17. http://www.ancient.eu/nineveh/
18. http://www.mocul.gov.iq/index.php
19. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-
view/news/new_unesco_project_launched_in_baghdad_to_protect_iraqi_c
ultural_heritage/
PROPOSAL Creation of a online 3D tour around Ancient Nineveh, digitaly reconstructed
based in the ruins photos.
Online 3D tour exemple at [http://www.fullscreen360.com/grand-palace-
bangkok]
HOW DO YOU
FUND YOUR
PROJECT?
Sponsorship from UNESCO.
JUSTIFICATION Niniveh, during the period from 7th century BC and 6th century BC, was the
greatest city around the world, figuring as one of the most important
cultural/intelectual centers of ancient world, and was the center of Assirian
civilization, the capital. We can't talk about assirians or assyriology without
mention Nineveh.
No one can deny the fascination aroused by spectacular archaeological finds
in Nineveh, rich neo-Assyrian palaces themselves known large amounts of
ancient sculptures and texts. Since the first discoveries, the interest shown
by the texts was great because some of them had parallels with ancient
stories of the Bible. Then there was the interest of different nations due to
its historical importance. Regardless of religious backgrounds, we intend to
reflect and emphasize the responsibility that we have with such
archaeological goods stressing the importance of conservation, restoration
and the need to conduct new archaeological excavos this region guarding a
cultural heritage of different people there were, and at the source of the
most important cultural centers of the ancient world who enjoy a prominent
role in the field of development of human civilization. Such wealth is being
threatened by religious extremism, vandalism and different conflicts where
Iraquean authorities need to rise interest in the defense of such
archaeological property.
Thus we sustain that an adequate form to preservate this wonderful cultural
heritage, and all the intellectual experience associated with it, is making use
of digital media and digital computing to safely save all the information
about it, even so damaged as it remains today.

5. PHOTO/DRAWI
NG