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Ancient Tombs Unearthed in Iraq Due to Drought
The tombs, dating back over 2,300 years to the Hellenistic period, were excavated as water levels dropped to eight percent of capacity, revealing significant archaeological finds.
- On August 30, 2025 archaeologists in drought-hit Iraq uncovered 40 ancient tombs at the edges of the Mosul Dam reservoir in Khanke, Duhok province.
- This year, unusually low rainfall and reservoir declines meant authorities warned water reserves fell to eight percent, with officials blaming droughts and upstream dams in Iran and Turkey for exposing submerged sites.
- Archaeological surveys conducted in 2023 spotted parts of tombs, and Bekas Brefkany, director of antiquities in Duhok, said `So far, we have discovered approximately 40 tombs` from the Hellenistic or Hellenistic-Seleucid period, over 2,300 years old.
- The Directorate of Antiquities in Duhok announced excavation teams are transferring at least 40 Hellenistic-era coffins to the Duhok Museum for preservation before submersion.
- The find reinforces patterns where drought-exposed reservoirs uncover relics, and officials said it could greatly enrich understanding of northern Mesopotamia with more excavation likely; in recent years, similar receding waters at Mosul Dam revealed settlements over 5,000 years old.
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[epoch_component type=”photo_gallery” position=”left” section_title=”Commuters drive through a flooded road amid heavy rain in Lahore, Pakistan, on Aug. 30, 2025. Monsoon rains this week swelled three transboundary rivers that cut through Pakistan’s eastern province, the nation’s agricultural heartland and home to nearly half of its 255 million people. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)” width=”1000″ items=”5908441,” image_stays=”false” stays_…
Archaeologists in drought-stricken Iraq have discovered 40 ancient tombs after the water level in the country's largest reservoir fell, an antiquities official said on Saturday, AFP reported. The tombs, believed to be more than 2,300 years old, were discovered on the edge of the Mosul Dam in the Khankeh area of the northern province of Dohuk. "We have discovered about 40 tombs so far," said Bekas Brefkany, director of the regional antiquities au…
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