Archaeologists uncover the history of one of the world’s oldest civilizations

• A major discovery in Iraq’s historic Babylon governorate represents a significant step forward in better understanding the evolution of the ancient city.

• Parts of the excavation site date back to the Sasanian Empire from 3^rd up to 7^th centuries, but the majority of the best-preserved parts of the site are remains from the Babylonian era more than 3,000 years ago.

• In addition to the remaining physical structures of the ancient civilization, many individual artifacts have been discovered, including ancient seals and cuneiform tablets.

For the most part archaeologistsdiscovering a single ancient artifact is probably an exciting experience. Find three? A monumental moment. 10? A dream come true.

And almost 500?

Is there a feeling that can even capture magnitude? To find out, you would have to ask Quhtan Abbas Hassan Aboud, head of archaeological excavations in the Iraqi governorate of Babylon. In mid-October, the team, working on excavations in the Al-Fayadiya district, discovered a significant part of ancient Babylon that spans two periods of the city’s development. The discovery contained 478 artifacts from both periods, including ancient seals, cuneiform tabletsand more, according to Archeology magazine.

The team separated the discovery into two sections (A and B), according to a statement of the Iraqi State Council of Antiquities and Heritage. Section A covered approximately 6,000 square meters of excavation siteand inside, archaeologists found remains representing two distinct periods. The top layer dates back to the Sasanian period, which spanned from 224 to 651 AD under the rule of the Sasanian Empire, one of the last pre-Islamic empires in Iran.

Unfortunately, because they spent a millennium and a half much closer to the surface of the ground, the ruins of the empire have suffered much erosion and deterioration. Thus, even if this discovery is essential to retrace the history of Ancient Babylonit pales in comparison to what archaeologists found underneath.

The second layer of Section A was much more well preserved and much older: experts have dated it to the ancient Babylonian era, which spanned from 1894 to 1595 BC.

However, the enthusiasm around Section B has largely eclipsed that of the two layers in the first section. Section B was significantly larger than Section A, at around 9,000 square meters, and contained a huge amount of Babylonian artifacts. antiques. The entire section dates back to the same time as the bottom layer of Section A and, in addition to individual artifacts such as pottery and cylinder seals, Aboud’s team was able to map what they thought was residential houses.

Two housing units discovered by the archaeologists contained several rooms of varying sizes that could have served as living spaces, work areas or storage, providing significant insight into the habits and living conditions of the common inhabitants of the old Babylon.

The smaller, individual historical items (pottery, writing tablets, seals, etc.) that were part of the discovery are just as important as the structures discovered in the area. Cylindrical sealsfor example, were in perfect condition despite their age of over 3,000 years. Once used to sign documents and indicate ownership, seals were an important item to people and were often ornately decorated. Although they served a functional purpose, they also now constitute crucial elements in the history of aesthetics and symbolism, not only in Babylon, but throughout antiquity. Mesopotamia and the rest of the world.

The various cuneiform tablets are an equally important discovery. The logo-syllabic writing style is one of the first in civilized history. historyand translations of the ancient Babylonian tablets are essentially windows into commerce, government, and other facets of the life of civilization. They offer a direct path to better understand the ancient city.

But then again, all the discovery too. How lucky.

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