A group of Italian archaeologists from the University of Udine in Italy has made significant progress at an ancient site in the Kurdistan Region's Duhok province.

Il Giornale Dell'Arte published some photos of the excavation site on Tuesday, describing the recent progress as "extraordinary."

The new discovery includes the uncovering of 10 new rock inscriptions that show "the Assyrian ruler Sargon in the presence of divinity," which date back to 705-720 BC.

The discovery took place along an ancient irrigation canal approximately seven kilometers long in the Faida district, located 20 kilometers south of Duhok.

The joint project, called "Land of Nineveh," began in August 2012 with support from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the University of Udine in Italy.

The group of archaeologists intend to make new discoveries during their excavation campaign in 2020 and apply for the site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Il Giornale Dell'Arte said.