Archaeologists have also found the remains of a royal palace. The vestiges, found in Iraq, belong to the ancient Sumerian civilization.
A team of archaeologists has discovered, in Iraqthe remains of a more than 4,500-year-old royal palace and temple dedicated to Ninurta, one of the most important Sumerian deities. Excavations were carried out as part of a archaeological expedition organized by the British Museum. The temple, built with mud bricks, was one of the main attractions of the ancient city of Girsu, one of the first cities in the world and today an archaeological site known as Telloin southern Iraq. “In the heart of the city of Girsu, we have discovered, and are still excavating, one of the most important sacred spaces in all of ancient Mesopotamia“, announced in a presentation Sebastien Rey, senior archaeologist at the English institute.
Last year, the team located important remains of a vast, previously unknown complex in an area known as Tablet Hill, devastated by excavations in the 19th century and by the conflicts that devastated the region in the following century. The first ones have been identified by the end of the year mud brick walls of the palace, along with 200 cuneiform tablets and administrative documents from the ancient city, which have been sent to the Baghdad museum. “After the Second World War and the subsequent years of conflict in Iraq, the Girsu field has fallen into oblivion”Rey said. “It is not too much to say today that Girsu is probably one of the most important heritage sites in the world that very few people know about”. Girsu was an important cultural center in the heart of Mesopotamia, a vast area between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers that included the territories where today the modern states of Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, part of western Iran and of Kuwait. The region was home to the Sumerians, perhaps the world‘s oldest civilization, creators of writing and the first law codes. Ningirsu (or Ninurta) was a Sumerian and Babylonian deity, revered as the god of war, hunting and agriculture. He was often represented with an axe, a symbol of his power to destroy enemies and to protect the city. Ninurta was an important figure in Mesopotamian mythology and was often invoked in prayers and religious ceremonies to protect cities from calamities, to promote prosperity in agriculture, and to achieve victory in wars. As mentioned Ningirsu was also considered the patron of the city of Girsu, in present-day Iraq, where important religious festivals were organized in his honor. The cult of him then spread to other parts of Mesopotamia, becoming one of the most important and influential deities in the region.
