Stunning 3,400-Year-Old Palace Of the Kingdom Of Mitanni Discovered Thanks To Drought

Conny Waters -  AncientPages.com - The Kingdom of Mitanni reached the height of its power between 1500 and 1240 BC and controlled trade routes up the Euphrates from to Carchemish, along with the upper Tigris and its headwaters at Nineveh.

Totally forgotten for millennia, the Kingdom of Mitanni was discovered in the nineteenth century and excavations revealed fascinating facts about this unusual kingdom, which once existed in northern Mesopotamia.

Another ancient Mitanni palace was once found in Syria. 

Now, archaeologists report they have discovered a 3,400- year-old palace that was once part of the long lost kingdom. According to the University of Tuebingen in Germany, the ancient ruins were discovered thanks to a long drought in the region.

German and Kurdish archaeologists unearthed the ancient building at a reservoir on the east bank of the Tigris, in  Iraq.

The rare remnants of ancient palace appeared in the autumn and researchers had to dug fast for three and a half weeks.

An aerial view of the remnants of the palace. Credit: University of Tuebingen

Meanwhile, the palace has disappeared completely under water due to the drought.

"We only had a very short window of time during a rescue excavation," said lead archaeologist Ivana Puljiz from the University of Tübingen at the German Press Agency.

See also:

Was Princess Tadukhipa Of The Mitanni Kingdom Queen Nefertiti?

The Hittites – Rise And Fall Of An Ancient Powerful Empire In Anatolia

Sensational Find: Huge Cuneiform Archive Of Mysterious Ancient Clay Tablets Discovered In Iraq

"We dug as fast as we could."

The ancient palace was once part of the old city of Zachiku and the building measures at least 2,000 square meters.

An Archaeological Sensation

The building consists of thick mud brick walls, some of which are more than two meters high. According to Puljiz, wall paintings with bright reds and blues have also been discovered. Since such were received only very rarely, it was an "archaeological sensation".

Credit: University of Tuebingen

In addition to this, archaeologists also unearthed ten cuneiform texts.

The contents of a blackboard suggest that the locality Kemune was most likely the ancient city of Zachiku, said Puljiz.

This fascinating discovery will now give scientists the opportunity to better understand the Kingdom of Mittani.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer