The Nimrud Dogs, five clay canine figurines found at the ancient Mesopotamian city of Nimrud, were only a few of the many startling finds in the region in the 20th century. During the 19th century, expeditions were sent to the Near East to corroborate biblical narratives through physical evidence – but wound up doing precisely the opposite – and later expeditions in the 20th century did the same. The Nimrud Dogs were discovered by archaeologist Max Mallowan in the 1951-1952 season and are among the most interesting and often overlooked artifacts held in museums today. The figurines date to the 8th-7th century BCE, during the time of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and, like other artifacts from that time, were preserved by the empire's fall.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1001/the-nimrud-dogs/.