Archaeologists have discovered an ancient city under a mound in Iraq Live Science reported.
"Very few archaeological excavations had been conducted in Iraqi Kurdistan before 2008," Cinzia Pappi, an archaeologist at the Universitat Leipzig told Live Science.
The city, called Idu, was found in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. It's situated in a valley on the northern bank of Iraq's lower Zab River. The remains of the city are also In it are cuneiform inscriptions and works of art which tell stories of palaces that prospered in the city throughout that time.
According to Pappi, Idu flourished between 3,000 and 2,900 years ago and was governed by the Assyrian Empire, and utilized to operate the surrounding territory. Over time, as the empire deteriorated, the city was able to become independent and the center of a kingdom which ended up lasting 140 years. It was then taken over by the Assyrians.
The city is now part of a mound made by humans which is 32 feet above the surrounding land. The remains go back to Neolithic times when farming first came to the Middle East Live Science reported. Satu-Qala, a modern day village, now sits on top of the mound.
Researchers discovered the name of the site when a villager gave them an inscription of the city's ancient name carved in it. The area was excavated in 2010 and 2011 with the team reporting its findings in the latest edition of the journal Anatolica. Art and cuneiform inscriptions gives hints about Idu's many palaces. When it was independent, one ruler, Ba'ilanu, felt his palace was better than those who governed before him.
"The palace which he built he made greater than that of his fathers," he said in a translated inscription Live Science reported.
