Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (477 page)
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Authors: Timothy Darvill
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NIMBY
[Ab].
[Ab].
Abbreviated form of the principle ‘Not In My Back Yard’ underlying much environmental protest when confronted with proposed new but unwelcome development.
Nimrud, Iraq
[Si].
[Si].
Situated beside the Tigris River, south of modern Mosul in Mesopotamia, the ancient city of Nimrud has been the subject of several excavation programmes, starting with the work of Sir Henry Layard in the mid 19th century (who wrongly believed he was excavating
NINEVEH
).
Although large, Nimrud does not have the great antiquity of many other cities in Mesopotamia. It was established by Shalmaneser I of Assyria in the mid 13th century
bc
. In 883 bc, under Ashurnasirpal II, it became the Assyrian capital (Kalhu/Calah), a role it retained until 710 bc when the capital moved first to Khosrsabad and subsequently to Nineveh. In its heyday, the city was enclosed by a wall some 8km in circumference, enclosing at one corner a citadel that contained a ziggurat, temples, and palaces. The palaces have yielded the richest finds: enormous stone winged bulls, reliefs, and exquisite carved ivories that once adorned the royal furniture. Many of the sculptures were brought back to England by Layard and are now in the British Museum.
[Sum.: M. E. L. Mallowan , 1966,
Nimrud and its remains
. London: Collins]
NINEVEH
).
Although large, Nimrud does not have the great antiquity of many other cities in Mesopotamia. It was established by Shalmaneser I of Assyria in the mid 13th century
bc
. In 883 bc, under Ashurnasirpal II, it became the Assyrian capital (Kalhu/Calah), a role it retained until 710 bc when the capital moved first to Khosrsabad and subsequently to Nineveh. In its heyday, the city was enclosed by a wall some 8km in circumference, enclosing at one corner a citadel that contained a ziggurat, temples, and palaces. The palaces have yielded the richest finds: enormous stone winged bulls, reliefs, and exquisite carved ivories that once adorned the royal furniture. Many of the sculptures were brought back to England by Layard and are now in the British Museum.
[Sum.: M. E. L. Mallowan , 1966,
Nimrud and its remains
. London: Collins]
Nineveh, Iraq
[Si].
[Si].
Large walled city that was a capital of the
ASSYRIAN
empire from the end of the 8th century
bc
. Situated across the Tigris from Mosul, Nineveh has seen a steady stream of excavations since the early work by Emile Botta in ad 1842. These show that the site was occupied from at least the 6th millennium
bc
with pottery from the Hasuna phase onwards. Destroyed by the Medes late in the 7th century
bc
some occupation continued until its rise to prominence in 705 bc when Sennacherib established the Assyrian capital here. Today the site is dominated by two large mounds that relate to the rebuilding of the city by Sennacherib : Kuyunjik (the citadel) and Nebi Yunus (the arsenal). A great palace was built, its walls covered in splendid reliefs. Many of these, together with a great archive of cuneiform tablets that constituted the two libraries of Sennacherib and his grandson were taken to the Louvre in France and the British Museum in the UK during the 19th century. Around the city was a substantial wall, 12km in circumference, parts of which still stand.
[Sum.: A. H. Layard , 1970,
Nineveh and its remains
(edited by H. W. F. Saggs , with a new introduction). New York: Praeger]
ASSYRIAN
empire from the end of the 8th century
bc
. Situated across the Tigris from Mosul, Nineveh has seen a steady stream of excavations since the early work by Emile Botta in ad 1842. These show that the site was occupied from at least the 6th millennium
bc
with pottery from the Hasuna phase onwards. Destroyed by the Medes late in the 7th century
bc
some occupation continued until its rise to prominence in 705 bc when Sennacherib established the Assyrian capital here. Today the site is dominated by two large mounds that relate to the rebuilding of the city by Sennacherib : Kuyunjik (the citadel) and Nebi Yunus (the arsenal). A great palace was built, its walls covered in splendid reliefs. Many of these, together with a great archive of cuneiform tablets that constituted the two libraries of Sennacherib and his grandson were taken to the Louvre in France and the British Museum in the UK during the 19th century. Around the city was a substantial wall, 12km in circumference, parts of which still stand.
[Sum.: A. H. Layard , 1970,
Nineveh and its remains
(edited by H. W. F. Saggs , with a new introduction). New York: Praeger]
nitrogen dating
(nitrogen analysis)
[Te].
(nitrogen analysis)
[Te].
A relative dating technique that can be applied to bone. It is based on the gradual reduction of nitrogen in bone as collagen is broken down into amino acids and leached away. Nitrogen is a fairly major constituent of bone (about 4 per cent) and as bone collagen decomposes it gradually releases the nitrogen at a fairly uniform rate. The exact rate of decay depends on the burial environment, but the relative ages of samples from the same environment can be compared by measuring the remaining nitrogen content.
NLAP
[Ab].
[Ab].
NMR
[Ab].
[Ab].
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