Drought Exposes Centuries-Old Tombs Near Kurdistan’s Mosul Dam

In the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, an intense drought has unveiled a remarkable archaeological find: 40 ancient tombs near the Mosul Dam in Duhok province, believed to be over 2,300 years old and dating back to the Hellenistic or Hellenistic-Seleucid period.

Archaeologists, led by Bekas Brefkany, had initially surveyed the area in 2023 but could only partially identify the tombs.

This year, as water levels dropped to their lowest point in decades, the team was able to fully excavate the site.

The artifacts and tombs will be carefully moved to the Duhok Museum for further study and preservation before the reservoir submerges the area again.

Iraq has faced consecutive years of drought, worsened by rising temperatures and upstream dams in Iran and Turkey, making water reserves critically low and exposing previously hidden ruins.

The discovery not only provides invaluable insights into Iraq’s ancient civilizations but also underscores the complex ways climate change is reshaping landscapes, revealing hidden history, and offering archaeologists unique opportunities to study and safeguard the country’s rich cultural heritage.