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The city of Nimrud, Iraq. Excavations at Nimrud have revealed traces of occupation as early as the third millennium BC and written sources suggest that there was an important town at the site in the 13th century BC. The major remains unearthed by archaeological expeditions belong to the period extending from the 9th century, when the city was rebuilt by Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC), to the fall of the Assyrian empire in 612 BC. During this time, the town covered approximately 900 acres and was surrounded by a mud-brick wall 5 miles long. (KEYSTONE/Georg Gerster)