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Michael Danti

This “doodle,” possibly showing Assyrian kings in profile, was spotted by archaeologists on a blank spot of exposed panel and was likely crafted by a bored guard or passerby.

Details in the scenes, such as livestock in a military encampment, help researchers better understand how Assyrian leaders organized and waged campaigns across their vast empire.

Assyrian archers are depicted in a mountainous landscape.

A slab featuring Assyrian soldiers. The reliefs have been buried for more than 2,600 years and survived the Sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C., as well as destruction in the 21st century at the hands of ISIS.

The excavation team works at the Mashki Gate in Nineveh. Once archaeologists dug beneath the floor level, the seemingly blank stone panels revealed lushly detailed scenes.

A slab buried on its side depicts Assyrian archers; the conical pattern in the background indicates they are in a hilly or mountainous environment.

A detail from the lower-right corner of the slab reveals a “foreigner” with a hairstyle and beard known from Iranian populations at the time. Assyrian figures are usually depicted with curly shoulder-length hair and beards.

This excavated slab, which depicts an Assyrian military encampment, shows how workers chiseled away most of the relief visible above floor level.