Ancient city dating 3,300 yrs back unearthed in Iraq

Cuneiform inscriptions and works of art reveal the palaces that flourished in the city throughout its history thousands of years ago, Fox News reported.

Located in a valley on the northern bank of the lower Zab River, the city's remains are now part of a mound created by human occupation called a tell, which rises about 32 feet above the surrounding plain.

The earliest remains date back to Neolithic times, when farming first appeared in the Middle East, and a modern-day village called Satu Qala now lies on top of the tell.

The city thrived between 3,300 and 2,900 years ago, Cinzia Pappi, an archaeologist at the Universitt Leipzig in Germany, said.

The researchers were able to determine the site's ancient name when, during a survey of the area in 2008, a villager brought them an inscription with the city's ancient name engraved on it.

Excavations were conducted in 2010 and 2011.

The findings are published in the journal Anatolica.