Discovery of Ancient Tombs in Iraq as Reservoir Levels Plummet

Following a significant drop in water levels at Iraq's largest reservoir, archaeologists have stumbled upon 40 burial sites previously concealed by the Mosul Dam's water.

These burial chambers, estimated to be over two millennia old, surfaced in the vicinity of the Mosul Dam within Duhok province's Khanke area.

Bekas Brefkany, heading the Duhok antiquities team, reported, "Our current tally reaches about 40 grave sites." His team had conducted a preliminary survey of the territory earlier in 2023, only to catch glimpses of a few tomb entrances.

This excavation effort only became feasible once this year's drought reduced the reservoir's water to unprecedented lows.

Past years have seen multiple archaeological findings in this locale, unearthed due to persistent arid conditions that have beleaguered Iraq for five consecutive years.

Although droughts create difficulties for farming and electricity generation, they also open opportunities for archaeological explorations, as Brefkany acknowledged.

The unearthed tombs are thought to belong to the Hellenistic or Hellenistic-Seleucid era, Brefkany added.

Preparations are in place to relocate these artifacts to the Duhok Museum for detailed analysis and conservation before water levels rise again.

Iraq, highly susceptible to climate change consequences, grapples with escalating heat, chronic water deficits, and repeated droughts.

Officials have sounded the alarm that the current year ranks among the driest since 1933, with water reserves plummeting to a mere eight percent of total capacity.

Neighboring dams in Iran and Turkey are also seen as culprits for the drastically reduced flows of the Tigris and Euphrates, which have supported Mesopotamian agriculture for millennia.