Returning to Babylon

A moving story of a people reclaiming their cultural heritage after an occupying force tried to erase it. Priceless artifacts from the Assyrian Empire were destroyed during the Isis occupation of Mosul. Now, a team of archaeologists is dedicated to finding pieces that survived. One possible discovery: the location of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

More than 2,500 years ago, the Assyrians in Nineveh built the first great empire in human history. Excelling in science, engineering and warfare, they were the beginnings of modern civilization. But Daesh occupied the Iraqi city of Mosul for three years and destroyed many ancient Assyrian treasures. Can archaeologists unearth new discoveries among the wreckage?

In war-torn Mosul, archaeologists unearth the largest-known image of the ancient Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. This is the first time an image of a major god has been discovered inside an Assyrian palace.