 The British Museum houses a large collection of artifacts from the ancient Middle East |
 The capture of Astartu (Jordan) and the king in his chariot, Assyrian ca 730 BC from Nimrud |
 The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III (858-824 BC) |
 The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III - attendants bring two-humped camels, tribute from Musri, a country far to the east |
 Human-headed winged lion, Assyrian ca 860 BC, from Nimrud in modern Iraq 30 km SE of Mosul |
 Protective spirit, Assyrian ca 860 BC, from Nimrud, Northwest Palace |
 Pair of protective spirits: an Ugallu, 'Great Lion', preceded by what may be the House God, Assyrian, ca 700 BC from Nineveh |
 Prisoners from the town of -alammu, Assyrian ca 700 BC from Nineveh (modern day Iraq, near Mosul) |
 Campaigning in southern Iraq, Assyrian, ca 640 BC, Nineveh, Southwest Palace |
 Campaigning in southern Iraq, Assyrian, ca 640 BC, Nineveh, Southwest Palace |
 Bull being led through southern Iraq, Assyrian, ca 640 BC, from Nineveh |
 Detail from the manufacture and transport of a colossal stone bull, Assyrian ca 700 BC, Nineveh |
 Assyrian king in his chariot watches as prisioners are brought in, Assyrian ca 640 BC, Nineveh (Northern Iraq) |
 Frieze of campaigning in southern Iraq from the southwest palace of Nineveh, Assyrian ca 640 BC |
 Campaigning in southern Iraq - reed boat crossing a river, Assyrian ca 640 BC, Nineveh |
 Surrender of enemy horseman, Assyrian ca 728 BC, Nimrud (central palace) in modern Iraq |
 Wall panel from Nimrud, Assyrian ca 728 BC |
 Battle scene from Nimrud (central palace) Assyrian ca 728 BC |
 Vulture carrying human entrails, Nimrud, Assyrian ca 728 BC |
 Tiglath-pileser III, Assyrian ca 728 BC, Nimrud (central palace) |
 Winged human-headed lion, Assyrian ca 860 BC from Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 This protective spirit guarded the entrance into what may have been a banquet hall |
 Winged human-headed lion whose twin is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art |
 Detail of the feathers of the wings of a human-headed winged lion, Assyrian, ca 860 BC from Nimrud in modern Iraq |
 Tribute-bearers on the façade of the throne room, Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 Exotic animal brought as tribute to the palace of Nimrud (Iraq) ca 860 BC |
 Protective spirit carrying a goat guarded one of the doors to the throne room, Nimrud (northwest palace) Assyrian ca 860 BC |
 Protective spirit carrying a deer guarded one of the doors to the throne room, Nimrud (northwest palace) Assyrian, ca 860 BC |
 Court scene, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 King Ashurnasirpal enthoned between attendants, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 Winged protective spirit, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 Wall panel depicting soldiers crossing a river floating on inflated animal skins, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud northwest palace |
 Naked soldier swimming across a river, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) in modern Iraq |
 Symbolic scene depicting King Ashurnasirpal dressed in ritual robes in front of a Sacred Tree making a gesture of worship to god |
 Eagle-headed protective spirit, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) in modern Iraq |
 King Ashurunasirpal hunting a Lion, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 King Ashurunasirpal hunting a Lion, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud (northwest palace) |
 Attack on an enemy town with King Ashurnasirpal shooting arrows with a siege engine battering the walls, Assyrian 860 BC, Nimrud |
 Protective spirit, Assyrian, ca 860 BC, Nimrud |
 King Ashurnasirpal flanked by eagle-headed protective spirit, Assyrian ca 860 BC, Nimrud |
 Human-headed winged bulls from the gates to the citadel of the Palace of Sargon (Dur-Sharrukin) near present-day Khorsabad, Iraq |
 Human-headed winged bulls from the gates to the citadel of the Palace of Sargon (Dur-Sharrukin) near present-day Khorsabad, Iraq |
 Human-headed winged bull |
 Head of a human-headed winged bull, Assyrian ca 670 BC from Nimrud |
 Battle Scene, Assyrian ca 728 BC, from Nimrud, Central Palace |
 Horse and men leading chariot, Assyrian ca 728 BC from Nimrud, Central Palace |
 Pair of protective spirits, an Ugallu, 'Great Lion', preceded by what may be the House God, Assyrian ca 700-692 BC, from Ninveh |
 Cast of palace doorway, Persepolis (Iran) ca 470-450 BC |
 Cast of palace doorway, Persepolis (Iran) ca 470-450 BC |
 King, probably Xerxes, sitting on a throne, holding a sceptre and lotus flower with an attendant behind, Persepolis ca 470-459BC |
 Cast of royal hero from doorway, Persepolis (Iran) ca 490-470 BC |
 Glazed brick guardsman, Susa (Iran) ca 521-500 BC |