On display in Bowdoin College’s Museum of Art are several Assyrian Reliefs that were carved more than two thousand years ago. Originally excavated from the ancient city of Kalhu, located in modern day Northern Iraq, they were donated to the college by Dr. Henri Byron Haskell— a Bowdoin alumni. The relief is one of two hundred panels resected from the ruins of the Northwest Palace that the Assyrian King Assurnasirpal commissioned. This particular relief depicts a winged deity gifting the Assyrian King with what has been interpreted as a fertile gift.
Image of the “Winged Spirit” Assyrian Relief from the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.
However, covering the relief is a lengthy message written in cuneiform, which has come to be known as the ‘standard-inscription.
Written by King Assurnasirpal, the standard inscription is an autobiography that details the triumphs of the mighty ruler. Below is an abbreviated translation of a section from the inscription that details his efforts in rebuilding the city of Kalhu.
“I rebuilt the city [of Kalhu]. I took people which I had conquered from the lands
over which I gained dominion. […] I settled them therin. I cleared away the old
ruin hill [and] dug down to water level. I sank [the foundation pit] down to a depth
of 120 layers of brick. I founded therin a palace of cedar, cypress, […] and tamarisk
as my royal residence for my lordly leisure for eternity. […] I decorated it in a splendid
fashion I surrounded it with knobbed nails of bronze. I hung doors of cedar, cypress,
dapranu-uni, and meskannu-wood in its doorways. I took in great quantities and put
therein silver, gold, tin, bronze, iron, booty from the lands over which I gained dominion.”
The inscription would have been repeated verbatim atop hundreds of reliefs commissioned by the Assyrian King, which is why it is referred to as the ‘standard inscription.’ The Bowdoin Assyrian reliefs, as mentioned previously, were located in the palace of the King Assurnasirpal. Therefore, any guest—from ally to enemy to commoner— visiting the palace could not only marvel at the fierce image of the king, but they could read about it as well.
Close up of the cuneiform standard inscription from the “Winged-Spirit” Relief in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.
Consequently, the inscriptions, viewed by thousands of visitors, function as a means to justify his rule. The variety and quality of the wood species utilized for construction of the ancient city portray the fertility and reach of his empire. Meanwhile, the mention of precious minerals such as silver, gold, and tin obtained in conquest tell visitors of the great wealth and military prowess he possessed as a King. The Empire’s wealth was also reflected by the sheer quantity of reliefs the lengthy inscription was etched into, because the number of workers and amount of time required for such a task would have been costly.
Additionally, the medium of the inscription provides a means by which the King’s legacy could be remembered through history. Although Assurnasirpal’s kingdom was overtaken by adversaries towards the end of his reign, the inscription—etched in stone— would have permitted his contributions to the Assyrian Empire to live on beyond his time on Earth. Future rulers would have been able marvel at his accomplishments, and the permanence of his inscription ensured that such achievements would not be lost to time.
References
Porter, Barbara (1989). “Assyrian Reliefs at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art” Accessed May 9, 2021, https://www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum/pdf/Assyrian%20Bas-reliefs%20at%20the%20Bowdoin%20College%20Museum%20of%20Art.pdf
Bowdoin College, Art Museum. Explore Ancient Assyrian Reliefs. Accessed May 9, 2021, https://www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum/education/young-learners/assyrian.html