Archaeology breakthrough as 4,500-year-old palace holds 'key' to first civilisations

A Sumerian palace that was discovered in the Iraq desert could contain the key to understanding one of the first human civilisations, archaeologists have revealed. 

Since 2015, a team of British archaeologists have been excavating the site formerly known as Tello, where the ancient city of Girsu once stood, in the southern plains of Iraq. 

Ancient Sumerians - which lived in the “Fertile Crescent” of southern Iraq from around 5300 BC to 1940 BC - are often recognised for laying the groundwork for modern civilization and recent excavations in Girsu have brought Mesopotamian archaeology to the cusp of this period.

The civilisation is widely credited with developing the first written language and enacting the first written legal code. 

The city of Girsu is also said to be one of the first settlements ever established.

Sumarian contributions to and achievements in the arts, religion, science, mathematics, architecture and social organisation provided a foundation for other civilizations to be built in the fertile area of Mesopotamia and the surrounding area.

The palace and temple, described as “the cradle of civilisation”, were discovered by a team headed by Dr. Sebastien Rey, a curator at the British Museum and an expert on ancient Mesopotamian civilisation. 

Rey also called Girsu as “one of the most important heritage sites in the world that very few people know about”.

In 2015, the British Museum, the Getty, and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage in Iraq started funding a cooperative initiative to excavate the site of Girsu.

The British Museum created the Iraq Scheme, which included this program, to help save cultural landmarks in Iraq and Syria that were at risk of being destroyed by the Islamic State’s continuous atrocities.

Recent digging at this major archaeological site has shown that it was left untouched for almost a century until researchers from the British Museum arrived.

As more than 100,000 cuneiform tablets had been taken during numerous excavations at Girsu following its first discovery in 1877 by French archaeologist Ernest de Sarzec, it was unclear whether or not the site had any other significant artefacts. 

The region’s ongoing conflict during the 20th century also contributed to the general public giving it a wide berth.

Nevertheless, new opportunities presented themselves to Girsu archaeologists with the advent of aerial survey equipment, allowing them to reach their goal of discovering Girsu’s central and primary buildings. 

Drone imagery recorded in 2022 reveals previously unseen relics buried under the surface. The mudbrick walls of the Lord Palace of the Kings were excavated during further ground-level excavations, proving that the centre building of the magnificent city of Girsu had finally been located.

More than two hundred cuneiform tablets were unearthed by researchers from the rubble of 19th century excavations.