Drought in Iraq Has Revealed an Ancient Mesopotamian City

The 3,400-year-old ruins on the former banks of the Tigris River are providing new insights into the history of the Mitanni Empire.

By Gabe Allen
Jun 28, 2022 12:00 PM
Low-Res 1 Kemune 2022.jpg
The archaeological site of Kemune, where the sunken city was found, in the dried-up area of Iraq's Mosul reservoir. (Credit: Universities of Freiburg and Tübingen, KAO)

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In January of this year, prolonged drought caused the waterline in Iraq’s Mosul reservoir to sink to the lowest level since the dam’s construction in 1986. As the water sank, the 3,400-year-old ruins of an ancient city became visible along the former banks of the Tigris River. Less than two months later, the ruins were once again submerged.

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