But this is not found to be the actual result.

The forms are rarely Assyrian, since they occur commonly in the sculptures which represent the foreign campaigns of the kings; and they have the appearance of being to a great extent conventional, being nearly the same, whatever country is the object of attack.

In the few cases where there is ground for regarding the building as native and not foreign, it is never palatial, but belongs either to sacred or to domestic architecture.

Thus the monumental representations of Assyrian buildings which have come down to us, throw little or no light on the construction of their palaces.

As, however, they have an interest of their own, and will serve to illustrate in some degree the domestic and sacred architecture of the people, some of the most remarkable of them will be here introduced.
[Illustration: PLATE 48] The representation No.