Lost Sumerian palace uncovered in Iraq
Known today as Tello, Girsu is one of the oldest cities in the world.
Iraq
World news in brief: finds from Japan, Iraq, and Egypt
A round-up of some of the latest archaeological news from across the globe.
Ancient mesopotamian tavern uncovered
The recently discovered tavern, dating to c.2,700 BC, consisted of an open-air public eating area and a kitchen
Assyrian palace excavated in the ancient city of Nimrud
Finds from the palace include a large stone vase and inscribed fragments of ivory and of ostrich eggshell.
New reliefs found at Nineveh
The reliefs depict details including mountains, grapevines, pomegranates, figs, palm trees, and warriors firing arrows in battle
Oldest charred food remains shine light on Palaeolithic cooking techniques
Research suggests that, for Neanderthals and early modern humans, flavour was an important consideration during food preparation.
Meat stews were on the menu in Mesopotamia, study finds
Analysis of Beveled Rim Bowls excavated from a Late Chalcolithic site in Iraq has challenged traditional interpretations that they were used for distributing cereal rations to state-dependent labourers.
Prayer and poetry: Enheduanna and the women of Mesopotamia
Enheduanna, high priestess at the ancient city of Ur, is thought to be the world’s first named author. She was a poetic innovator, but she was not alone in Mesopotamian history as a prominent or a literate woman, as Lucia Marchini learns from Sidney Babcock.
Hundreds of prehistoric hunting traps identified across the Arabian desert
These monumental structures, termed 'kites', consist of low stone walls that stretch hundreds of metres and lead to an enclosure, in which gazelles and other game could have been trapped.
Lost royal city found in Iraqi Kurdistan?
Occupation of the fortress appears to have been relatively short-lived, with the main phase of activity probably dating to the 1st century BC.
Depictions of hybrid camels identified at a temple in Hatra, Iraq
Important as commercial commodities and as symbols of wealth and power, the animals also appear to be associated with the pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, Allat.
The City of Babylon: A History, c.2000 BC – AD 116
The history of the Mesopotamian city of Babylon had a powerful legacy even within antiquity. Today, many are familiar with the city, situated in modern Iraq, for its numerous appearances in the Bible and for the fabled wonder of the…
Remains of 4,000-year-old ancient city revealed in Iraq
The first excavations began in April 2021, and were focused entirely upon Tell al-Duhalia, which is home to hundreds of archaeologically significant sites, such as the Great Ziggurat of Ur.
Esfahan, Iran
Esfahan is little known in the West, but it has some of the world’s great architecture – not only mosques, but also its palaces, its gardens, and last but not least, its fine bridges.
Penn Museum: a museum for the coming decades
The symbol of the new Penn Museum is in the refurbished main entrance hall. On a prominent podium behind the ticket desks sits the Museum’s celebrated sphinx. Richard Hodges reports.
Sumerian Plaque
The carving depicts a clean-shaven, elite male figure, perhaps a high-priest or ruler, sitting on a decorated stool, wearing a kaunakes (a type of Sumerian long skirt).
Caught in the crossfire: conflict in Syria and Iraq
In 2012, CWA reported on the damage inflicted on Syria’s cultural heritage since the beginning of the civil war. Now we take an updated look at heritage in conflict in Syria and Iraq.