Valuable Archaeological Findings That Have Shaped History Over Milennia

The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal, named after the last Assyrian king, is a treasure trove of ancient wisdom, housing thousands of text fragments and clay tablets from the 7th century B.C., including the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The discovery of Ashurbanipal’s Library in 1849 in Northern Iraq by Austen Henry Layard was monumental. It opened a window into ancient Near Eastern civilizations. Most artifacts ended up in the British Museum, preserving a significant slice of history.