College of Archaeology

 On Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Dr. Behnam Abu Al-Sof’s Hall in the college, the Department of Archeology at the College of Archeology/ University of Mosul discussed the master’s thesis titled (Implementing the Lion in Mesopotamia until the end of the Neo-Babylonian era (626-539) BC). Part of it was attended by Professor Dr. Qusay Kamal al-Din al-Ahmadi, the president of the University of Mosul, and a number of college professors and students.

The study presented by the researcher (Farah Abdullah Mahfouz) dealt with shedding light on the lion, which is considered one of the most prominent animals that have existed in the environment of Mesopotamia since ancient times, through artistic and architectural remains as well as cuneiform texts, and the implementation of the lion in Mesopotamia in various diverse fields and its appearance. In ancient arts and architecture, it demonstrates its great importance. The lion animal and its symbolism had a major role in ancient Iraqi thought, in addition to the role that this animal played in the life of the ancient Iraqi people and how it transformed from its role as a predatory creature to its role in protecting the gods and the buildings of palaces and temples. The lion animal took on a high level. Sanctification in Mesopotamia reached the point of accompanying the gods and their symbols, as well as royal metaphors, and this is the entirety of what was reached through studying the material remains and the cuneiform sources in which it was mentioned using a descriptive and analytical approach.

The discussion/ viva committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Younis Abdul Rahman and the membership of Professor Dr. Muhammad Kamel Rokan / Al-Qadisiyah University / College of Archeology / Department of Archeology and Assistant Professor Dr. Heba Hazem Muhammad and under the supervision and membership of Assistant Professor Dr. Yasmine Abdel Karim Muhammad Ali / Dean of the Faculty of Archeology / University of Mosul.