ASSYRIAN CAPITAL IN DANGER OF FALLING INTO THE TIGRIS

An Iraqi antiquities official warned this week that the first capital of Assyria, the 4,500 year old city now known as Qalah Sharqat, is in danger of falling into the Tigris River.

"This season, the river washed away dozens of clay tablets and statues because there is no protective flood wall," said Mohammed al- Jabouri, who works for the antiquities department in Salah al-Din. He said that the river has also washed out 30 meters of Assur, Assyria's ancient religious capital. "The antiquities department in Salah al-Din province has repeatedly asked the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to protect [Qalah Sharqat] from the flood, but the ministry has done nothing so far, as if this is a matter of no concern," al-Jabouri said.

The site was partially excavated in the early 1900s, but was abandoned after World War I. No work has been done since then to complete the excavation.

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ARCHAEOLOGISTS RUSH TO EXCAVATE AND PRESERVE ASSYRIAN CITY BEFORE THE SITE IS FLOODED

Archaeologists in southeast Turkey are working diligently to excavate and preserve as much as they can of Tushan, an Assyrian city, before a hydroelectric dam floods the area. Tim Matney, who is leading a team of German, Turkish, and British archaeologists, are scheduled to return to Tushan in early April to continue their work. "This is a pragmatic, conservationist rescue dig," said Matney, who also noted that he now has a “slightly less cumbersome system to work with” in regards to the Turkish bureaucracy.

Matney’s team has uncovered a large mud brick building, several cuneiform tablets in the palace, and countless fragments of pottery, vessels, and animal bones. The construction of the dam has been delayed until 2013, but there is still much work to be done. Nothing remains above ground at the site. It is unclear how much of the area will be flooded, but Matney remains confident that the work will be done regardless.

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