Kemune

Iraq · Nineveh

Ancient cityIntermittent excavation
Approximate periodLate Bronze Age See on the map ↓

In brief

The city, submerged beneath the Mosul Dam reservoir, has been excavated during periods of low water levels. The palace and other large structures date to the Mitanni period; the site's identification with ancient Zakhiku is possible but uncertain.

What was found?

  • 1Mitanni-period palace

    Parts of a large building were uncovered during excavations. The structure, assessed in the excavation report as a possible palace, is important for understanding the settlement's administrative function.

  • 2Fortification system with towers

    Substantial fortifications consisting of thick walls and towers were found. They show that the settlement made a significant investment in defensive construction.

  • 3Multistory monumental storage building

    According to researchers, the large storage building held substantial quantities of goods brought from the surrounding region. It suggests the city's regional economic role.

  • 4Tablet archive in five vessels

    More than 100 cuneiform tablets were found inside five ceramic vessels. They date to the Middle Assyrian period following the destruction of the Mitanni city; the clay envelopes of some tablets have also survived.

  • 5Wall painting remains

    Fragments of wall paintings, clay sealings bearing seal impressions, and pottery were found in the possible palace. These allow study of the building's decoration and use.

What does it point to?

Kemune illustrates an important Mitanni urban center with defensive, storage, and administrative buildings. According to researchers, it may be ancient Zakhiku; the Middle Assyrian tablets provide evidence of the subsequent phase of political change in the region.

What did it teach us?

  1. It revealed that the Mitanni-period settlement was an urban complex extending beyond the palace.
  2. Through its monumental storage building, it provided evidence of regional accumulation and distribution of goods.
  3. It showed that the Mitanni buildings and the later Middle Assyrian archive belonged to different phases.
  4. According to researchers, it revealed that walls which collapsed in an earthquake around 1350 BCE contributed to the preservation of the structures beneath them.

Latest news / selected archive

The 2022 rescue excavation uncovered fortifications, large storage and production buildings, and more than 100 cuneiform tablets from the Middle Assyrian period.

Record

Culture
Mitanni; Assyrian
First modern dig
2018
Team / historical
Hasan Ahmed Qasim, Ivana Puljiz ve Peter Pfälzner; Kürdistan Arkeoloji Örgütü, Freiburg ve Tübingen üniversiteleri
Coordinates
36.7686°, 42.7319°

Sources

  1. publications.dainst.org
  2. pr.uni-freiburg.de
  3. en.wikipedia.org

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