Receding Waters Unveil 3,400-Year-Old Palace Of A Mysterious Empire

The Mittani Empire is a mysterious civilization that no one really knows much about. That was, until recently. The University of Tübingen announced on Thursday that a team of German and Kurdish archaeologists had found a 3,400-year-old palace that belonged to the Empire. This miraculous discovery was only possible due to the drought in Iraq that had significantly reduced water levels in the Mosul Dam reservoir.

Large rooms in Kemune Palace were unearthed during excavations. ( University of Tübingen eScience Cente / Kurdistan Archaeology)

Hasan Ahmed Qasim, a Kurdish archaeologist of the Duhok Directorate of Antiquities who worked on the site, said that this find is not only one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the region in recent decades, but also illustrates the success of the Kurdish-German cooperation. This could have hugely positive effects on research and understanding more about these enigmatic people.

Terrace wall on the western side of Kemune Palace. ( University of Tübingen eScience Cente/ Kurdistan Archaeology)

The Mitanni Empire is one of the least researched empires of the Ancient Near East, not even the capital has been identified as of yet. Last year, the team of archaeologists had to launch an emergency rescue evacuation of the ruins when receding waters revealed them on the ancient banks of the Tigris. The Mitanni Empire remains one of the most mysterious civilizations and only a handful of ruins have been found.
As the water level continued to rise, the team had little time to spare and they had to work quickly. Eventually, though, the ruins were fully submerged again. However, in the short space of time that they had, the team were able to find at least 10 cuneiforms clay tablets within the palace itself. Along with those, they also found remains of wall paints in bright shades of red and blue. Murals such as this one were quite common in palaces at the time, but finding one preserved is quite the rarity and is an absolutely sensational occurrence.
Hoping that the tablets reveal more information about the Mittani Empire which once dominated life in parts of Syria and northern Mesopotamia, a team of researchers in Germany will now try to interpret them. This could be the breakthrough find that so many people have looked forward to for such a long time. Seemingly rushed, this may turn out to be a very special find indeed.