“We put so much hard work into the planning of all this, including an entirely new floor, remarkable color scheme, and state-of-the-art lighting,” said Peter Der Manuelian, director of the Harvard Semitic Museum. “With the architectural details, the curved ceiling, and magnificent skylight, it is the grandest gallery — a dynamic, beautiful, and exciting space.”

The renovation allows the museum to showcase and preserve the history, religion, culture, art, and language of Assyria in a gallery that blends important artifacts with immersive technology.

The project began with the resurrection and re-creation of plaster-cast reliefs that Lyon secured a century ago from three European museums. Displayed for years at the Harvard Semitic Museum and used as teaching tools, they were the virtual reality of their day.

“Teaching with 3-D objects … provides students with tangibility that they lack otherwise, especially when dealing with something as abstract as the deep past.” — Gojko Barjamovic

“Casts still have stories to tell now, even in our virtual world,” Aja said. “This show focuses on the production of casts, their use, their historical significance, and the lessons they can teach us.”

Aja developed an innovative technique using a silicone and resin formula to re-create the reliefs. He also wanted to involve students, offering them an opportunity to “touch” Assyrian culture.

To recast the palace reliefs, Aja worked with Gojko Barjamovic, senior lecturer on Assyriology and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and students in “Ancient Near East 103: Ancient Lives” over a period of three years.

“Teaching with 3-D objects rather than images gives you a completely different perspective and provides students with tangibility that they lack otherwise, especially when dealing with something as abstract as the deep past,” said Barjamovic, whose students learn how to read the now-extinct Akkadian language of the reliefs, depicted in different dialects spanning more than 1,000 years.

Using special characters and pictorial text, the reliefs describe King Ashurnasirpal of Assyria engaging in epic battles, speaking to the people of his empire, hunting lions, and boasting of his accomplishments. There are stories about soldiers and prisoners, as well as narratives of lavish celebrations with music and libation.

The reliefs can be less than a foot, or more than 12 feet tall. While some are free-standing, others stretch up to 14 feet long.