Archaeologists have uncovered two remarkably well-preserved shrines, among other remarkable finds, in an ancient temple that was destroyed by fire about 2,600 years ago.

The discoveries came to light during excavations in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, which is located in what is now northern Iraq.

Among the most important features of the archaeological site is the temple of Ninurta – with a ziggurat (stepped tower) – dedicated to the Assyrian god of war and agriculture of the same name. The temple is believed to have been destroyed by fire around 614-612 BC, helping to preserve the structure and artifacts inside.

Despite the fact that archaeologists had previously explored the site, the temple remained poorly documented and largely unexplored until excavations were conducted this year as part of the Penn Museum’s Nimrud Project.

The latest findings are helping to shed new light on the history of ancient Assyria – considered one of the world’s first empires. Assyria was the main civilization of ancient Mesopotamia – the historical region centered on present-day Iraq.

During this year’s excavations, archaeologists discovered two previously unknown sanctuaries in the temple of Ninurta – one larger than the other.

Inside the larger sanctuary, researchers found a monumental stone dais—a low platform for a statue of a god or goddess worshiped in a temple—with a cuneiform inscription. Cuneiform is considered to be the oldest known writing system. It was developed by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia more than 5000 years ago.

The smaller shrine was found to contain a podium which appears to have been severely damaged in antiquity. Both of these finds provide insight into Assyrian religious practices at the temple, which was built during the reign of King Ashurnasirpal II, who ruled from 883–859 BC.

During his reign, Ashurnasirpal II transformed Nimrud into an imperial capital, although the city had a longer history as an Assyrian settlement stretching back to the previous millennium. The ruler undertook extensive building projects, including palaces, temples and city fortifications. But at the end of the 8th century BC BC the importance of the city declined when the Assyrian king Sargon II. moved the capital of the empire again to Dur-Sharrukin.

Then, around 614-612 BC, invaders from Babylonia (present-day southern and central Iraq) and Media (present-day western Iran) sacked and burned the temple as the Assyrian Empire collapsed at the hands of its enemies.

“The burning and sudden collapse of the Temple of Ninurta left it in a remarkable state of preservation,” Michael Danti, program director of Penn’s Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program, said in a news release. “The condition and distribution of the artifacts strongly suggest that the sanctuary and associated treasures were looted and intentionally damaged by the Babylonians and Medes before being set on fire.”

Among the most interesting finds in the temple during recent excavations was the kudurru, a stone monument from 797 BC. AD with cuneiform inscription and symbols of important deities.

The team also found well-preserved clay tablets, also with cuneiform inscriptions, which shed light on the temple’s economic activities, such as silver loans and property lists. Other items found include a carved griffon head, carved ivory and jewelry.

The wide variety of object types, materials and artistic styles reflect the wealth of the Assyrian Empire, not to mention its military conquests and trade connections.

In 2015, much of ancient Nimrud was destroyed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). But in 2016, Iraqi forces regained control of the site. Since then, reconstruction efforts have been underway in an attempt to repair the damage.