4,500-year-old Sumerian temple discovered in Iraq
The ruins of a palace and a temple belonging to Sumerian kings in the southern Iraqi governorate of Dhi Qar. Photo: British Museum
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – A team of archaeologists from the British Museum discovered the ruins of a palace belonging to Sumerian kings and a temple for the god of war, hunting and agriculture, Ninurta, in the southern Iraqi governorate of Dhi Qar.
According to a statement issued by the British Museum, the discovered archaeological site is at least 4,500 years old.
The statement indicates that archaeologists made these discoveries at the end of 2022 in the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu, and this discovery is part of a research project carried out jointly by the British Museum, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, and the Iraqi authorities.
French archaeologists discovered the city of Girsu at the end of the 19th century. The discovery was the starting point for a detailed study of the Sumerian civilization, its language and writing preserved in cuneiform clay tablets.
Girsu was a city of ancient Sumer, located around 25 kilometers (16 miles) northwest of Lagash, at the site of modern Tell Telloh, in Dhi Qar governorate.
Museum scientists hope the new discovery will greatly expand understanding of the lives of the Sumerians, who established one of the first civilizations in the ancient world.
“Although our knowledge of the Sumerians is limited, our work in the city of Girsu and the discovery of the lost palace and temple promise to enormously expand our knowledge of this important civilization, shedding light on the past and enriching the future,” Director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, said.
Archaeologists determined the boundaries of the palace and the temple using aerial photographs taken by drones. So far, scientists found 200 clay tablets among the ruins of the palace, which were handed over to the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad.
Although the city of Girsu is one of the most important heritage sites in the world, according to scientists, it has not been well studied. This is due to the cessation of excavations because of the conflicts that Iraq witnessed during the past thirty years, which also allowed thieves to loot many of its antiquities.