It dates back to the third millennium BC.. Discovering a Sumerian temple in Dhi Qar, Iraq

A British archaeological mission, accompanied by an Iraqi team, discovered a Sumerian temple in Dhi Qar Governorate (southern Iraq) that dates back to the third millennium BC.

The Iraqi newspaper Al-Sabah (governmental) reported the discovery in a news item it published in its Monday issue.

She stated that "the Alino temple that was discovered belongs to the god Nin Gersu in the Sumerian city of Kersu, which is located north of Dhi Qar Governorate."

The newspaper quoted the director of the Dhi Qar Antiquities and Heritage Inspectorate, Amer Abdul Razzaq, as saying that "the British excavation mission (belonging to the London Museum) and the Iraqi team - which accompanies it - also found many important archaeological finds, which were sent to the National Museum."

Abdul Razzaq explained that "the London Museum mission expects to find more important discoveries, after renewing the contract signed with it for another 5 years, with the aim of expanding the excavations in the province."

He added, "There are 5 foreign missions that will arrive in Iraq in early October."

And last July, it was announced that a Russian excavation team had discovered what they believe are the remains of a settlement dating back 4,000 years.

Among the archaeological items discovered were a rusty arrowhead, traces of stoves, and clay figurines.

Prior to that, a team of British archaeologists had found rare rock inscriptions early this year on the banks of a water canal in the Dohuk Governorate of the Kurdistan Region in the north of the country. It is believed that they date back to the era of Sargon of Akkad.

The Sumerian civilization is one of the well-known ancient civilizations in southern Mesopotamia, and its history is known from the clay tablets recorded in the cuneiform script.

According to historical references, the name Sumer appeared at the beginning of the third millennium BC during the period of the emergence of the "Hittites", but the beginning of the Sumerians was in the sixth millennium BC, when the Ubaid people settled and established the Sumerian cities in southern Iraq.