Beyond its consequences on populations, fauna and flora, drought can also be a boon for scientists.
In Mosul, in the region of Iraqi Kurdistan, thanks to the withdrawal of water from a reservoir, archaeologists were able to uncover an ancient city 3,400 years old, reports
Science and Life
.
They hope to later be able to learn more about the history of the place.
Dürre ermöglicht #Ausgrabung: Ein Team aus deutschen (#UniFreiburg und @uni_tue) und kurdischen Archäolog*innen hat am #Tigris eine 3400 Jahre alte Stadt aus der Zeit des #Mittani-Reichs freigelegt, die aus dem Wasser des #Mosul-Stausees aufgetaucht war.
https://t.co/z5Q1NfftGg pic.twitter.com/0nuLEruFoU
— Universität Freiburg (@UniFreiburg) May 30, 2022
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A building rich in lessons
This site, which emerged from the waters, belonged to the vast Mittani empire whose center of the kingdom was located in the northeast of present-day Syria.
It had been annexed by the Assyrians in the 13th century BC.
The newly accessible city could be the ancient city of Zakhiku which was important around 1550 BC.
Archaeologists unearthed a palace, a fortification equipped with towers and a large storage building.
The latter has captured the full attention of scientists.
In this building, which housed the goods, they got their hands on five ceramic vessels containing more than 100 cuneiform tablets.
It could be letters.
"It's almost a miracle that cuneiform tablets made of unfired clay have survived so many decades under water," said archaeologist Peter Pfälzner.
A finally saving earthquake
The specialists were impressed by the solidity of the buildings, some having remained in place several meters high.
Made of dried mud, they were still able to resist water.
Conservation was favored by a cataclysm.
The city was indeed the scene of an earthquake around 1350 BC.
J.-C, so that the upper parts of the walls covered the lower parts, allowing them to be protected over time.
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