EXPLORATION AND EXCAVATION
Exploration of the site of Ashur began in 1898 by German archaeologists. Excavations were initiated in 1900 by Friedrich Delitzsch, and continued in 1903-1913 by a team from the German Oriental Society led initially by Robert Koldewey and later by Walter Andrae. More recently, R. Dittmann spearheaded excavations on behalf of the German Research Foundation in 1988 and 1989. Further research at Ashur was led by B. Hrouda for the University of Munich and the Bavarian Ministry of Culture in 1990 (ICOMOS, 2003)
Due to the unstable cultural conditions of war and a lack of funding for excavations, Ashur’s research is being performed off-site. Unfortunately, most of the city remains unstudied. This includes all of the residential and agricultural zones. Excavation of these areas would provide crucial information about residential architecture, subsistence, and middle/lower class daily life in ancient Assyrian times (Bar, Iraq 2003).
Ashur continues to be an important area of study. Work such as Pauline Albenda’s Western Asiatic Women in the Iron Age (1983) reflects the vast diversity in research and interests associated with Ashur. New technology has allowed for some innovative archaeological studies. In the essay, Landscape and Settlement in the neo Assyrian Empire, T.J. Wilkinson, et. al. use satellite images to view the distinct imprint Assyrians left on the land and obtain insights into the structure and scale of the Assyrian Empire (2005). Another interesting study comes from Mark Altaweel. With a computer simulation tool called ENKIMUDU, Altaweel reconstructs the Ashur landscape and archaeological practices (Investigating Agricultural sustainability and Strategies in Northern Mesopotamia, 2008).
