Volume 75 Issue 4 April 2025

Stone stela of Ashurbanipal inscribed with cuneiform commemorating his building work on the Temple of Marduk in Babylon. Trustees of the British Museum.

The Library of Ashurbanipal

When it was discovered in the 19th century, the Library of Ashurbanipal revealed an ancient Assyrian empire previously known only through myth.

King Lewanika wearing the Victorian ambassador’s court uniform he wore to Edward VII’s coronation, 1902. Aberdeen City Council (Archives, Gallery & Museums Collection).

The African King at Edward VII’s Coronation

King Lewanika’s invitation to the coronation of Edward VII was intended to stabilise British relations with the Barotse nation. Instead, it exposed the cracks in the imperial veneer.