3,400-year-old city: reappears due to drought

An epic event unfolded in Iraq. Due to the serious and ever-growing Drought the ruins of one have resurfaced 3,400 year old city. According to scholars, it appears to belong to Zhakhiku of the Mittani Empire. An extreme drought is seriously affecting the country in the Middle East.

A truly unique sight when the ruins appeared in the heart of the Mosul basin. the entities
were involved in the Kurdish Archaeological Organization, the University of Freiburg, the University of Tübingen and the Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage in Duhok.

Scientists had already discovered a beautiful palace in 2018, before it was flooded again. However, in 2022, archaeologists managed to detect one fortification with towers and high walls. A very large multi-storey building intended for goods storage and also an industrial complex.

The huge storage building is of particular importance as it must have stored huge amounts of goods, probably from all over the region.

Ivana Puljiz, professor and co-author of the study

The results of the excavations show that the site was an important center of the Mittani Empire.

Hasan Qasim, professor

From its discovery, it has been reconstructed that the city was prosperous until 1350 BC, after which an earthquake destroyed everything. The remaining buildings were buried. Under the rubble dried mud walls and a hundred of tablets clay cuneiform.

It’s almost a miracle that cuneiform tablets made from raw clay have survived under water for so many decades.

Peter Pfälzner, co-author of the study

After his discovery, scientists thought of to protect the precious ruins of the city with large plastic plates. In times of plenty, the impact of rising water was minimized.