An ancient palace city has been discovered underwater in the Middle East. Archaeologists(考古学家) believed it to be the lost city of Zakhiku which was the centre of the Mitanni empire 3,400 years ago. It emerged from the waters of the Tigris River when part of the Mosul dam reservoir(水库) was out of water in what is now Iraq. The country is one of the worst hit by climate change, with temperatures rising to as high as 45 degrees, leaving residents with no other choice but to pull water from the reservoir for irrigation.
German and Kurdish excavators(发掘者) working at the site discovered ancient towers and writing tablets wrapped in clay envelopes. Walls measuring 10 feet high from thousands of years ago were found still standing, despite being made of sun-dried mud and submerged(淹没) in water. This is possibly due to an earthquake which turned the upper parts into rubble(碎石) serving as a protective cover over the centuries.
Dr Ivana Puljiz, assistant professor of archaeology at a university, said the ancient building used thousands of years ago was of particular importance. “Enormous quantities of goods must have been stored in it, probably brought from all over the region,” she explained. While Peter Pfälzner, an archaeology professor at Tübingen University, said the survival of the writing tablets was “close to a miracle”. Vibrant blue and red wall paintings, as well as a palace with 22ft high walls were also discovered at the site.
Researchers hope the latest discovery will offer more information about the fall of the city and the daily lives of its residents. The Mittani Empire once reached across from the Zagros Mountains in Iran to the Mediterranean. Discovered by divers close to Alikanas Bay in Greece, the site was believed to be the ruins of a lost civilization hidden beneath the waves. At the time, Professor Julian Andrews said: “The site was discovered by snorkelers and thought to be an ancient city port, lost to the sea. There were what superficially(表面地) looked like circular column bases, and paved floors. But mysteriously no other signs of life—such as pottery(陶器).”
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