The 34 papers of this proceedings were delivered at a conference held in March 2002 at the British Museum, and sponsored jointly by the Museum and the British School of Archaeology in Iraq. Nimrud, the center of the great Assyrian empire under Ashurnasirpal II, is located in present-day Iraq, and a number of leading Iraqi archaeologists are included among the contributors. The papers provide a superb overview of the history of the excavations at Nimrud, including talks on the work of archaeologist Max Mallowan, and one on his wife, Agatha Christie, who spent seasons in Iraq. The Nimrud ivories, seals, and gold jewelry; the libraries of Kalhu; the site's archives; layout of the rooms; and tombs are among the other topics. The volume is oversized (8.5x12") and includes many b&w plates. It is distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)