A 3,400-year-old city has been discovered by a team of researchers on the Tigris River in Iraq due to the extreme drought that wiped out the water that was once there. The palace and many large buildings discovered could be Zakhiku, which was an important city in the Mittani Empire from 1550 to 1350 BC. The Kemune Archaeological Site in the dried-up area of ​​the Mosul Reservoir. (Universities of Freiburg and Tübingen, KAO) In a press release, the researchers said that rising global temperatures and changing rainfall patterns with less rainfall are factors that have made Iraq “one of the countries in the world most affected by climate change.” “In the midst of population growth and the climate crisis, water scarcity in Iraq threatens to exacerbate conflict, food insecurity, health conditions and economic instability,” Wasana Punyasena, the country’s deputy director for Mercy Corps, told The Lancet in October 2021. “Loss of access to river water and drought threaten at least seven million people in Iraq,” Punyasena added. Agriculture is one of Iraq’s largest economic sectors, and since December 2021, huge amounts of water have been pumped from the Mosul Reservoir to protect crops from drought. The high demand for water made the reservoir dry enough for the hidden city to be revealed on the nearby Tigris River. This is not the first time the ancient city has made its appearance – archaeologists began excavations at the site in late 2018, when water levels in the reservoir fell during a severe drought. One of the tablet containers is inspected before recovery. (Universities of Freiburg and Tübingen, KAO) The researchers said the extent of the reservoir drying up in 2022 was “an unforeseen event” and suddenly put pressure on archaeologists to document as much of the city as possible before water levels could be replenished. Recent excavations took place in January and February 2022 and their discoveries include an extensive urban complex with molten mud walls and towers that have been underwater for 40 years. Vessels containing inscribed clay tablets were also found, and researchers hope to provide information on the end of the ancient city and the rise of Assyria.
After the research team completes its work, the excavation is extensively covered with plastic wrap to protect it from the rising waters of the Mosul reservoir. (Universities of Freiburg and Tübingen, KAO) According to the press release, the site is again underwater. Tight plastic sheets and gravel were used to cover the excavated buildings to preserve this part of the Mittani Empire for future research. Thumbnail image: Aerial view of Kemune excavations with Bronze Age architecture partially submerged in the lake. (Universities of Freiburg and Tübingen, KAO)