A team of archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Sumer palace and temple in the ancient city of Girsu that date back at least 4,500 years.
According to The Guardian, the important discovery in Tello in southern Iraq is the result of the Girsu Project, a joint initiative to save endangered heritages led by the British Museum, the State Commission for Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq and the Getty Museum in the US.
Tello is the modern Arabian name of the ancient Sumer city of Girsu, one of the earliest known cities in the world.
The discovery of the city of Girsu 140 years ago has revealed the existence of the Sumer civilization and shed light on some of the most important relics of Duong Ha art and architecture.
This site was previously devastated by 19th-century excavations and 20th-century conflicts, but the latest excavation shows that the ancient relics are still intact in its center.
The Girsu project is based on the museum's Iraq Project, which was developed in 2015, and is being supported by the Brotherhood for the first time to deal with the destruction of heritages in Iraq and Syria by the self-proclaimed Islamic State.
Last year, a preliminary survey in Girsu, including drone photos, identified the remnant under the surface that had not previously been known at tablet Hill.
The first brick walls of the palace were identified last fall and more than 200 mockurs and administrative records of the city have been rescued from the 19th century's rubble and brought to the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.
Similarly, the main reserve of the great Sumer god Ningirsu was discovered in the sacred area known as Urukug.
The temple named Eninnu is venerated as one of the most important temples in the Hemisphere but was only excavated as part of a new field research from the Girsu Project.
The search for Eninnu has haunted many generations of archaeologists and the recent restoration of the temple is an important milestone in the process of expanding the exploration of southern Iraq after decades of interruption in field research.
The partnership between the British Museum, the State Heritage Committee of Iraq and the Getty Museum is an important effort to build international cultural heritage projects, said Dr. Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum.
The British Museum continues to have a long-term commitment to protecting Iraq's cultural heritage, supporting the creative research and training of the next generation of Iranian archaeologists in Girsu".
Although our knowledge of the Sumer civilization is still limited today, the work at the Girsu Project and the discovery of lost palaces and temples has great potential to help us understand this important civilization, enlighten the past and inform the future, adds Dr. Fischer.
The new discoveries in Iraq highlight the success of the latest partnership between the British Museum and the State Commission for Archaeology and Heritage and Getty through the Girsu Project, says Dr. Sebastien Rey, director of the ancient Mesopotamia area and director of the Girsu Project. Girsu is one of the most important heritages in the world, but little is known about it."
According to Dr. Sebastien Rey, the 4,500-year-old palace may hold the key to learning more about one of the first known cultures.
Girsu - one of the earliest cities known in human history, was built by the ancient Sumerians - who invented writing from 3,500 to 2,000 BC, built the first cities and created the first laws.
They also invented wheels, tractors and economics. Historical Gilgamesh - considered the oldest literary work still existing in the world - originated from the five poems of the Sumer people. Notably, they were also one of the first cultures to produce beer, which ancient people considered the key to a healthy heart and liver.
The ancient Sumerians may not be as famous for a civilization as the ancient Egyptians or Greeks, but according to Dr. Timothy Potts of the Getty Museum, Girsu is probably one of the most important heritages in the world that very few people know about.
He said that through its collections, exhibitions, research and publications, the Getty Museum seeks to promote the understanding and preservation of the world's cultural and artistic heritage.
The British archaeological excavations in Iraq will continue to reveal the important ancient times of the Dutch East Sea, as this is a testament to the strong relationship between the two countries to enhance mutual cooperation, said Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, Iraqs Culture Minister.
