HORMUZD

RASSAM (1826-1910)  , Assyriologist and traveller, was born at Mosul of native Christian parents . His first work was done as assistant to Sir A . H . Layard in his first expedition (1845-47) . He subsequently came to England, studied at Oxford, and was again sent by the British Museum trustees to accompany Layard in his second expedition (1849-51) . Layard having entered upon a political career, Rassam continued the work (1852–54) in Assyria under the direction of the British Museum and Sir Henry Rawlinson at Nimrud and Kuyunjik . In 1866 he was sent by the British government to Abyssinia, where, however, he was imprisoned for two years until freed by the victory of Sir Robert Napier . From 1876 to 1882 he was again in Assyria conducting important investigations, especially at Nineveh, and during the Russo-Turkish War he was sent on a mission of inquiry to report on the condition of the Christian communities of Asia Minor and Armenia . His archaeological work resulted in many important discoveries and the collection of valuable epigraphical evidence . See The Times, Sept . 17, 1910 .