NIMROUD CENTRAL SALOON. 
103 
They are sculptured in mezzo-rilievo in front and on the side, and 
have each human heads with triple-horned caps, wings, and cuneiform 
inscriptions covering the unsculptured surfaces of the slabs. 
Adjoining these, on either side, are two pairs of small human figures 
in bas-relief, each of which has wings and double-horned caps, and 
holds, in a sacrificial attitude, a fir-cone and basket, or a branch of 
pomegranate. They have all cuneiform inscriptions. 
Against the adjoining pilaster are the head and foot of a winged and 
human-headed bull, wearing a horned cap; the neck and shoulders are 
restored. This concludes the series from the North-West Edifice. 
In the centre of the room stands the most important historical monu¬ 
ment as yet recovered from Assyria. It is an Obelisk of black marble, 
with the top truncated, and divided into three gradines. Each of its sides 
has five oblong panels, sculptured in bas-relief, separated horizontally 
by single lines of cuneiform inscription; and the remaining surface, 
both above and below the bas-reliefs, is covered with similar inscription. 
On the eastern, or principal face, the highest panel represents a king 
holding two arrows and a bow, attended by two armour-bearers, and re¬ 
ceiving homage from a captive or tributary, prostrating himself at his 
feet; behind the latter figure are two royal attendants, standing with 
clasped hands; above are representations of the sun and of a ferouher. 
The side-panels on the same level show 7 the tribute brought to the 
king ; that on the northern face has a horse, with three Assyrian 
figures; the remaining two exhibit foreigners, attired like the two 
large figures on slab No. 19, in the Side-Gallery, and leading camels, 
or bearing miscellaneous offerings on their shoulders. The four panels 
next below these are similar in subject; upon the principal one the 
king is represented standing with a cup in his hand, and attended by 
four eunuchs, one of whom screens him with a parasol, another fans 
him with a fly-flapper; above appear the ferouher, and the sun. On 
the return panels are two royal attendants, followed by tributaries 
bearing wine-skins, vessels, &c. The third row of panels has men in 
Assyrian costume leading or driving animals, two camels, an elephant, 
three monkeys, and two large apes. In the fourth row are two lions 
and a stag, and Assyrians bearing vestures, tusks, &c. In the fifth, 
foreigners and Assyrians intermixed, with wine-skins, fruits, vessels, &c. 
The inscription on this monument records the conquests of Divanu- 
bara, or Temenbar, the son of Sardanapalus the Great, who is thought 
to have reigned about 902-860 E. c. Amongst those who brought 
him tribute are mentioned Jehu, “ of the house of Omri,” the Israelite 
king, and Hazael, the contemporary king of Syria; and according to 
Colonel Rawlinson, Misraim, or Egypt, is included in the list of tribu¬ 
tary lands. The obelisk was found near the centre of the Great 
Mound of Nimroud. 
On the Western Wall of this Room are the remains from the Cen¬ 
tral Ruin of the Great Mound at Nimroud. 
Commencing from the left, the lowest bas-relief represents the eva¬ 
cuation of a captured city. Beneath the walls stand two battering en¬ 
gines, unemployed. Two carts, each containing two females and a 
child, and drawn by a pair of bullocks, are leaving the city. In the 
distance are eunuchs driving away the captured cattle, and scribes 
making an inventory of the spoil. 
