In addition to the recovery of the names of hitherto unknown early rulers of Assyria, the recent excavations at Sherghat have enabled us to ascertain the true reading of the name of Shalmaneser I’s grandfather, who reigned a considerable time after Assyria had gained her independence.  The name of this king has hitherto been read as Pudi-ilu, but it is now shown that the signs composing the first part of the name are not to be taken phonetically, but as ideographs, the true reading of the name being Arik-den-ilu, the signification of which is “Long (i.e. far-reaching) is the judgment of God.”  Arik-den-ilu was a great conqueror, as were his immediate descendants, all of whom extended the territory of Assyria.  By strengthening the country and increasing her resources they enabled Arik-den-ilu ’s great-grandson, Tukulti-Ninib I, to achieve the conquest of Babylon itself.  Concerning Tukulti-Ninib’s reign and achievements an interesting inscription has recently been discovered.  This is now preserved in the British Museum, and before describing it we may briefly refer to another phase of the excavations at Sherghat.

[Illustration:  396.jpg Stone Object Bearing a Votive Inscription of Arik-den-ilu.]

     An early independent King of Assyria, who reigned about B.C.
     1350.  Photograph by Messrs. Mansell & Co.

The mounds of Sherghat rise a considerable height above the level of the plain, and are to a great extent of natural and not of artificial formation.  In fact, the existence of a group of high natural mounds at this point on the bank of the Tigris must have led to its selection by the early Assyrians as the site on which to build their first stronghold.  The mounds were already so high, from their natural formation, that there was no need for the later Assyrian kings to increase their height artificially (as they raised the chief palace-mound at Nineveh), and the remains of the Assyrian buildings of the early period are thus only covered by a few feet of debris and not by masses of unburnt brick and artificially piled up soil.  This fact has considerably facilitated the systematic uncovering of the principal mound that is now being carried out by Dr. Andrae.

[Illustration:  397.jpg ENTRANCE INTO ONE OF THE GALLERIES OR TUNNELS CUT INTO THE PRINCIPAL MOUND AT SHERGHAT.]

Work has hitherto been confined to the northwest corner of the mound around the ziggurat, or temple tower, and already considerable traces of Assyrian buildings have been laid bare in this portion of the site.  The city wall on the northern side has been uncovered, as well as quays with steps leading down to the water along the river front.  Part of the great temple of the god Ashur has been excavated, though a considerable portion of it must be still covered by the modern Turkish fort at the extreme northern point of the mounds; also part of a palace erected by Ashur-nasir-pal has been identified.  In fact, the work at Sherghat promises to add considerably to our knowledge of ancient Assyrian architecture.