These are basalt reliefs from the 10th Century BC Aramaean palace at Tel Halaf (ancient Guzana) in northeastern Syria. Excavated between 1911 and 1921 by a German expedition under Max von Oppenheim. This section comes from the south wall of the palace, which was decorated with 187 relief segments in black basalt alternating with ochre colored limestone. The area of Tel Halaf is now disputed between ISIS and rival Jihadi militias and the fate of the site is unknown. This fragment and others are safely on display in the British Museum. Photo Credit: Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
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