Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Humanities LibreTexts

3.13: Lamassu

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker provide a description, historical perspective, and analysis of Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II.

Thumbnail for the embedded element "Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II"

The link to this video is provided at the bottom of this page.

Lamassu (winged human-headed bulls possibly lamassu or shedu) from the citadel of Sargon II, Dur Sharrukin (now Khorsabad, Iraq), Neo-Assyrian, c. 720–705 BCE, gypseous alabaster, 4.20 × 4.36 × 0.97 m, excavated by P.-E. Botta 1843–44 (Musée du Louvre)

In the News

Irreplaceable Lamassu sculpture, Assyrian architecture and whole archaeological sites have recently been destroyed by militants that control large areas of Iraq and Syria. This tragedy cannot be undone and is an attack on our shared history and cultural heritage. To learn more read this February 27, 2015, New York Times article.

Contributors and Attributions

  • Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II. Authored by: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. Provided by: Khan Academy. Located at: www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/ancient-near-east1/assyrian/v/lamassu. License: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

This page titled 3.13: Lamassu is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lumen Learning.

  • Was this article helpful?

Support Center

How can we help?