Iraq… the discovery of a 4,500-year-old Sumerian temple and royal palace
A group of archaeologists from the British Museum discovered the ruins of the palace of the Sumerian kings and the temple of the god of war, hunting and agriculture Ninurta in the province of Dhi-Qar in southern Iraq.
According to the museum, the artifacts found are at least 4,500 years old.
The statement said archaeologists made these discoveries late last year in the ancient Sumerian city of Gersu, and the discovery is part of a research project carried out jointly by the British Museum, the American Getty Museum and the Iraqi authorities.
It should be noted that the city of Gersu was discovered by French archaeologists at the end of the nineteenth century. Its discovery became the starting point for a detailed study of the Sumerian civilization, its language and writing, preserved in cuneiform clay tablets. Museum scientists hope that the new discovery will significantly expand the understanding of the life of the Sumerians, who founded one of the first civilizations of the ancient world.
Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, says: “Although our knowledge of the Sumerians is limited, our work in the city of Girsu and the discovery of a lost palace and temple promises to enormously expand our knowledge of this important civilization, shedding light on the past and enriching the future.”
The boundaries of the palace and temple were determined by archaeologists using drones and aerial photographs taken by them. So far, among the ruins of the palace, scientists have found 200 clay tablets, which were transferred to the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad.
Archaeologists consider the temple of Enino – Inurt (the patron saint of the city of Gersu) one of the most important historical religious temples in Mesopotamia (now Iraq), which was visited by many at that time.
Although the city of Girsu is one of the most important World Heritage Sites, according to scientists, it is not well understood. This is due to the cessation of excavations and excavations due to the conflicts that Iraq has witnessed over the past thirty years, which has allowed thieves to loot and steal many of its antiquities.
It is reported that the Sumerian civilization arose on the territory of the southern and central part of modern Iraq (Mesopotamia) about 6 thousand years ago. The Sumerians were skilled farmers, the first to build cities, invented the proto-writing from which cuneiform would later evolve, and had a rich mythology, including a flood story, and complex legal codes.
Source: TASS