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Czech archaeologists uncover Stone Age
tools in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
18.3.2010
By Jan Velinger
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March
18, 2010
Czech archaeologists are best-known for their
work in Egypt, spanning five decades, but some
specialists have begun making headlines for
excavation work in a different part of the world:
Mesopotamia – the cradle of ancient civilisation
that is now present-day Iraq. Recently an
eight-member team headed by Karel Nováček of the
University of West Bohemia, returned from northern
Iraq after having uncovered Stone Age tools that
were used by either our ancestors or our distant
relatives (Homo neanderthalensis). The tools date
back some 150,000 years, to the Middle Palaeolithic,
the oldest find of its kind in the city of Erbil in
Kurdistan.
Archaeologist Karel Nováček
told me more about the Czech project:
“Historically, this is the first time that Czechs
have been involved in northern Mesopotamia. But we
didn’t choose Erbil – it more or less chose us. A
private Czech firm specialising in historic
preservation had been involved there since 2004 and
consequently we were able to build on their
activities. We got the idea that Erbil – a city
whose history goes back some 6,000 years BC – would
be ideal for a Czech expedition.”
The project, however, presented a number of
restrictions that had to be worked with, namely that
– unlike more famous archaeological sites, only
Erbil survived to the present day; with a population
of 1 million, it is the third largest city in Iraq
(after Mosul and Baghdad).
“Unlike the Assyrian cities of Nimrud or Ninime,
which lasted only into the Dark Ages or the Middle
Ages, Erbil survived. The former sites were
consequently far easier to excavate. In Erbil, by
comparison, it is much more difficult to get below
the surface.”
Because they were working in a living city Czech
researchers relied on different methods to narrow
down promising locations, archaeologist Karel
Nováček explains:
“In Erbil, it’s impossible to excavate just
anywhere, to cut out a chunk of area like
archaeologists did in the 19th century. So we chose
a combination of methods to piece together a mosaic
–taking geo-physical measurements that are
non-invasive, studying existing buildings and
terrain, and analysing old aerial and satellite
photographs. We looked at material going back fifty
years, before many of the city’s ancient sites were
altered or destroyed.”
According to the Czech specialist, the team was able
to piece together ‘slivers’ of information that
built up a better understanding of Erbil as a whole
– a city whose ancient centre, known as The Citadel,
rises almost 30 metres above the rest of the town.
It – and its surrounding wall - is built on layer
upon layer of ancient settlements and buildings
going back to 6000 BC. A veritable gem for future
research.
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Karel Nováček, - CTK photo
Erbil, The Citadel, rises almost 30 metres above the
rest of the town. Wikipedia photo
CTK photo |
“The Citadel in all likelihood has an uninterrupted
history going back 6,000, maybe even 7,000 years
Before Christ. Within its layers it retains remnants
of the original monumental architecture of the
Assyrian city: temples and royal palaces and the
Temple of Ishtar and so on. When it comes to the
rest of the town, we are on more hypothetical ground
but our research suggests that there was a wider
area that was also part of the older Assyrian city.”
As such, the Czechs operated outside of the plateau,
benefiting from the planned construction of an
enormous hotel and commercial centre in the newer
part of town. They were able to scope to site nine
metres into the ground and it is there that they
eventually uncovered tools dating back to the Middle
Palaeolithic,www.ekurd.netroughly
150,000 years old: sharp-edged chipped flint tools
used by our ancestors or Homo sapiens’ distant
relative, Homo neanderthalensis. Both lived side by
side in the region of Mesoptamia at the time.
“We will probably never know who really made the
tools - not without concrete anthropological
evidence: the remains of one of the prehistoric
people who inhabitted the area. That is not very
likely at all at a site like Erbil; in an inhabitted
area that kind of find would be practically unique.
So who used the tools – which were used to cut meat
or to skin animals – will probably always remain a
mystery.”
The tools uncovered in Erbil could be the oldest
ever found in the area.
“We aren’t certain of the exact age – yet - and
whether the items are older than an American find
dating back 50 years. But theirs was some 150
kilometres away, so this is most defintely the
oldest find in Erbil itself.”
The Czech team’s work in northern Iraq began in 2006
and will wrap up with several publications of their
findings later in 2010. But archaeologist Karel
Nováček says Czech researchers hope to continue
their involvement in there well into the future.
“Regarding the Palaeolithic, there is still plenty
of research we could do to follow up, although that
would require some heavier equipment. But there are
also other possibilities: in 2007 original buildings
on the Citadel dating back to century Ottoman Empire
– probably the only remaining intact examples in all
of Iraq – were emptied of inhabitants in return for
newer property. Careful renovation of the historic
buildings was set to begin. But the plan hit a
hurdle along the way. The buildings have been empty
for some two years – which is not good – but the
project should begin soon. It is our hope that we
will also be able to conduct research there when
things get underway.”
The buildings’ inhabitants, the archaeologist points
out, were not original owners with ties to the city
but Kurdish families from mountain regions that
Saddam Hussein’s regime forcibly tried to
assimilate.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
radio cz
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