Recently, excavations found an ancient city that had disappeared for many decades due to flooding. Drought caused it to resurface long enough for an excavation team to gain many new and fascinating discoveries – and this is not the only amazing aspect about the region.

Ancient city uncovered

The Bronze Age city in the Mosul Reservoir remained missing for over forty years. After prolonged drought, the water level now receded and the city could be uncovered. According to experts, the city at the Tigris is 3400 years old. It could be the ancient Zachiku, an important center of the great empire of Mittani which had existed between 1550 and 1350 BC. The south of Iraq was particularly affected by droughts in late 2021. In order to continue irrigating the fields, large amounts of water were drained from the reservoir, as the researcher’s report. As a result, the lake’s water level dropped enough to reveal the city complex at the edge of river near Kemune. Experts were particularly excited that the ancient mud-brick structures which were built thousands of years before were in a very good condition, especially after being submerged for forty years. Their good condition was probably caused by a severe earthquake around 1350 BC when collapsing walls had buried and preserved the buildings. During the excavations, ancient inscriptions on 100 cuneiform tablets were discovered which were probably written at the time of the earthquake. According to the experts, the fact that they have survived for so long in vessels made of unfired clay can be regarded as a miracle. The cuneiform tablets could provide new insights of the end of the sunken city and the beginning of Assyrian rule in the region. At the end of the excavation, when the water soared again, the scientists took some protective measures. They covered the buildings with a plastic sheet, hoping to protect the mud walls from further water damage. In the meantime, the excavation site has completely disappeared into the reservoir again. It remains to be seen how long the experts have to wait until they can continue their investigation of the area.

More fascinating facts about the area

The Tigris is a river in the Near East which is about 1900 kilometers long. It originates at the confluence of the Maden Cayi and Dibni Cayi rivers. Even though the fascinating city has unfortunately disappeared again in the meantime due to the increasing water level, the region offers some other fascinating stories. A fact that many people do not know about is that gambling was also born in the region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The oldest games of chance originated in Mesopotamia, the area around present-day Syria and Iraq. There, people abandoned their nomadic existence for the first time and settled down, developed urban structures and invented games. Archaeological findings indicate that bets were already being made at that region in early times. Bones were used instead of dice which were thrown when playing games. Fortunately, nowadays anyone who wants gamble is no longer tied to one place. Online casinos allow players from all over the world to access a large selection of games from the comfort of their own homes. Free comparison portals help when choosing a suitable casino. These portals guarantee an overview of reputable providers, worthwhile casino bonuses and exciting slots and table games. Thus, even players without prior knowledge can quickly and easily get into gambling and find online casinos in the UAE. However, there are more interesting facts about the area. Even the name Tigris offers an exciting origin story. The name resembles the river that, according to ancient reports, flowed through the Garden of Eden. In the ancient Sumerian language, the Tigris is called id-igna; “id” means river and “igna” heron. Accordingly, the name can be translated into something like heron river which is perhaps traceable to its animal population or, with a little imagination, to its shape and course. However, the region offers a lot to see which is why it could be an interesting destination for the next holiday trip.