Neo-Assyrian wall panel
- Gallery: Room 9
- Culture: Neo-Assyrian
- Date: 700BC-692BC
- Object type: wall panel, relief
- Materials: gypsum
- Museum number: 124786
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This is a Neo-Assyrian wall panel relief carved from gypsum, dated to around 700 to 692 BC. It shows a scene of military victory from the town of Alammu. At the bottom, Assyrian soldiers and auxiliaries present the heads of slain prisoners to a royal officer, who holds a long staff and a large shield. Following them are handcuffed prisoners, one being executed, and women and children dressed in styles typical of Syria. The details in their armor and clothing—like crested helmets, round wicker shields, and different types of bows—reveal the distinct roles within the army.
Above, two scribes record the scene on a stone tablet and a parchment roll. This panel was uncovered in the Southwest Palace at Nineveh and was brought to the museum by archaeologist Sir Austen Henry Layard. It likely connects to Assyrian King Sennacherib's campaigns in the region.
See it in person
Neo-Assyrian wall panel is on display in Room 9 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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