RASSAM

Rassam was born in Mosul, now in northern Iraq, of Christian parents. As a young man he assisted Layard on his first expedition (1845-1847), came to study at Oxford, was sent by the British Museum on Layard's second expedition (1849-1851), and then worked with Sir Henry Rawlinson at Nimrud and Kuyunjik. In 1866 Queen Victoria sent him to Abyssinia on official business but he and others were imprisoned by the King, which resulted in Napier's expedition of 1868. He returned to Assyria, making important discoveries, especially at Nineveh, 1876-1882. At his home in Brighton he had a museum, which included the shackles he had worn in Abyssinia.