Wikipedia Commons 1 comment 0diggsdigg Share Article Print Article .publishedIn { font-size: 11px; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); }a.publishedIn { text-decoration: underline; } A recent report announces that late last year the ruins of an ancient city were found in the Dhi-qar province of southern Iraq. .imagelightbox { margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; max-width: 300px; padding: 10px 0px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); }.midArticleBox { margin: 10px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 300px; height: 250px; padding-top: 10px; border-top: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); } In a recent AGADE News report, published on April 23rd, 2010 Iraqi archaeologist Abdul-Amir Hamdani announced the discovery of a new site containing Sumerian ruins has been found in southern Iraq.
Dhi-qar Province Antiquities Research On Rebound Abdul-Amir Hamdani is the Director of Dhi-qar antiquities office for the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Hamdani is known for his dedicated efforts to preserve antiquities in Iraq after the U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation.
The Dhi-qar province has suffered heavily over the past decade from prolonged neglect of sites and widespread looting.This latest report is a welcome sign that the pursuit of the worlds rich cultural heritage is once again underway in southern Iraq.
Site Dated To Ur's 3rd Dynasty Exploration of the site has revealed bricks inscribed in cuneiform writing which have been dated to the 3rd Dynasty of Ur (ca. 2113-2006 BCE). The Sumerian language on the bricks has been translated to reveal an inscription honoring one of Ur's kings. As translated by Dr. Franco D'agostino the text reads,
"Amar-Sin, whose name was chosen by Enlil in Nibru, the attendant of the temple of Enlil, the mighty king, the king of Ur, the king of the four quarters of the earth, to Enlil, his beloved king, the temple ...has built for him".
Images Hamdani reports that the inscribed brick was found close to the surface of the site near what may be the ruins of a temple. Nearby more artifacts have been found that relate to an older habitation of the area going back to the Ubaid period (ca. 5500 BCE)
Based on the initial findings it is impossible to tell how important of a city this was or how long it was occupied, The growth of large urban centers that grew into city-states began in ancient Iraq during the 4th millennium BCE. During this time southern and central Iraq were known collectively as Sumer and Akkad. By the time Hammurabi made the city of Babylon the capital of his Amorite Dynasty, during the early centuries of the 2nd millennium BCE, most of the great southern cities had already fallen into decline.
There is no word in the report indicating when further exploration and excavation of the site will occur.
Sources
Hamdani, Abdulamir ( AGADE News: A new Sumerian site southeast of Eridu) April 23, 2010
Read more at Suite101: A New Sumerian City Has Been Discovered In Southern Iraq http://www.suite101.com/content/a-new-sumerian-city-has-been-discovered-in-southern-iraq-a230390#ixzz1Kqx0HJqB