Archaeological dig in Iraq unearths ancient winged sculpture

euronews (in English)

Many of the priceless reliefs showing gods, mythical beasts and kings were destroyed by Islamic State group militants with explosives and reduced to rubble.

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00:00 A winged Lamassu sculpture has been discovered in northern Iraq.

00:04 This mythical creature, part bull, part eagle and once with the head of a man, was unearthed

00:08 by a team of archaeologists.

00:10 The 2,700-year-old relic was found perfectly preserved underground in the modern-day village

00:15 of Khorsabad.

00:17 Locals here buried the monument before fleeing the region during the Islamic State occupation.

00:22 These ancient alabaster creations once guarded the gates of ancient cities across the Neo-Assyrian

00:26 Empire, but many were destroyed by militants.

00:29 The head of the sculpture is on display at the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.

00:32 [WHOOSH]

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