Scarce and an original first edition copy, for collectors of Austen Henry Layard, 19th Century Travel Books, and for those interested in Nineveh, Mesopotamia, Iraq, Babylonia, Babylonians, Medes, Chaldeans, Persians, Scythians, Cimmerians The Middle East, Travel and Exploration. Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon; With Travels in Armenia, Kurdistan and the Desert: Being the Result of a Second Expedition Undertaken for the Trustees of the British Museum This volume details Layard’s important second British Museum expedition in 1849, describing in detail the discoveries that were made, especially focusing on the momentous Assyrian artefacts. The expedition yielded further important trophies and discoveries, including the cuneiform library of Sennacherib's grandson Ashurbanipal, on which most modern knowledge of Assyrian culture is founded. Apart from his great archaeological accomplishment in identifying Kouyunjik as the site of the ancient city Nineveh, Layard provides an extensive analysis of the ancient Assyrian world and its history, as revealed by the discoveries, and also writes about the daily life and customs of the country. This will be of interest for the archaeology and early travel enthusiast as the number and quality of illustrations, maps and diagrams really elevate this work. Item Description First edition of this authoritative study on the Assyrian cities of Nineveh and Babylon based on Layard's second expedition to the region. Richly illustrated with fold-out frontispiece ‘North-eastern façade and grand entrance of Sennacherib’s palace (Kouyunjik)’, 4 folding plates and plans, 8 tinted lithographic plates, over 20 full-page plates, 1 plate of inscriptions, 2 large folding maps ‘map of Assyria, and map of Mesopotamia’ at rear, and 232 wood-cut engravings. Published by John Murray, London, 1853. The book is bound in half leather spine, with marbled boards. Spine with six bands ruled in gilt, lettered in gilt within compartments two, fourth and sixth. Marbled endpaper pages. Top page edges gilt. Book Dimensions: 23 x 15 x 5 cm and Number of Pages: 686 including appendix and index + 2 pages of publishers’ works. Condition Firm and well-bound copy. External covers in nice shape, with light wear to corners, and edges. Internally; the book in very good condition. A little sticker with old inscription dated 1853, and pencil marks on first front free endpaper page. Stamped at top title page only. Securely bound with hinges fully intact with no detached pages. Pages are clean, with occasional marks to few pages. The folding plates and maps are intact, with slight closed tears to the margin edges of couple maps. Plates are in good condition. Overall; good, firm, and complete scarce copy (Please see pictures).