In Kurdistan, archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of a 4,000-year-old city known as Xarab-i Kilashin.
Located on the banks of the Bolshoy Zab River, the discovery was made during a major archaeological survey of the 3,000 square kilometers Fertile Crescent, which many believe was the birthplace of agriculture some 10,000 years ago.
The area was closed for a long time due to political instability and the presence of militants from the terrorist organization Daesh.
“What is surprising is the size of this settlement,” said Rafal Kolinsky of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. “All previous calculations indicated that this area is very small in size, not exceeding 1 ha. The same could be said about the settlements of modern Xarab-i Kilashin, which were just villages."
Covered in a semicircle on the north bank of the river with a diameter of approximately 300 meters, an incredible variety (over 12,000) of artifacts have been found at Xarab-i Kilashin, including pieces of pottery and terracotta seals.
The city is believed to have been the birthplace of a dignitary who ruled the surrounding lands.