Ancient City in Iraq

KIWI · 03-10-2010, 06:58 AM

http://praguemonitor.com/2010/03/08/...bil-north-iraq

Quote:

Czech archaeologists find oldest settlement in Arbil, north Iraq

ÈTK |
8 March 2010
Plzen, West Bohemia, March 5 (CTK) - An expedition of Czech archaeologists has found remains of an about 150,000-year-old prehistoric settlement in Arbil, north Iraq, which has been the so far oldest uncovered in this part of northern Mesopotamia, team head Karel Novacek told reporters Friday.

The archaeologists revealed a high number of items, mainly prehistoric stone tools, about nine metres under the ground in Arbil, capital of the Kurdish autonomous region, said archaeologist Novacek, from the University of West Bohemia in Plzen.

The eight-member expedition returned from Iraq at the end of last year. The team comprised experts from the University of West Bohemia, academic and university institutions in Prague and two companies.
Czech experts have succeeded in finding evidence of the oldest human settlement in the locality as all other finds of American expeditions working there 50 years ago are probably younger.

"We have been the first foreign expedition in this area since the second Gulf War in 2006," Novacek added.
The project, supported by the Czech Science Foundation (GACR), has been the first professional Czech expedition to Mesopotamia, a cradle of human civilisation.
"The expedition has mainly focused on the town of Arbil that used to be one of the royal residential centres of ancient Assyria. Its research is a real challenge for the modern 21st century archaeology," Novacek explained.

Unlike other more known ancient centres in this area, Arbil did not cease to exist and it has remained a lively town to date. It is one of the longest permanently populated sites in the world, Novacek added.
In spite of it, it has not attracted many archaeologists so far.

The beginning of this town dates back to the 3rd century BC.
The expedition's research was primarily based on geophysical exploration, historical buildings documentation and the assessment of aerial and satellite photos.
Novacek, in this respect, also praised cooperation with the Prague-based GemaArt Group heritage conservation company, that has worked in Iraq since 2004, without which the thorough research would not be possible.
Copyright 2009 by the Czech News Agency (ÈTK). All rights reserved.
Copying, dissemination or other publication of this article or parts thereof without the prior written consent of ÈTK is expressly forbidden. The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content.

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egg · 03-10-2010, 07:18 AM

Wow! Cool stuff. It will be interesting to see what else they unearth.

KIWI · 03-10-2010, 07:58 AM

I tend to think in terms of US archeology being the leaders in this sort of thing, and obviously with whats going on in Iraq have taken it for granted there would be no access to any of this sort of stuff ... the Czech's seem to have been quietly getting on with the job

egg · 03-10-2010, 08:05 AM

Yeah, that did strike me as I read the article. I think this is the first time I read of a Czech archeological team.

KIWI · 03-10-2010, 08:23 AM

little planet, big world

boycotteverything · 03-10-2010, 11:03 AM

According to accepted anthropology that would make those inhabitants Neanderthals, no?

skunk · 03-10-2010, 12:47 PM

Very cool KIWI.

Is this the oldest "settlement" found to date?

One of the oldest human settlements in Europe has been carbon dated to 31,000 years.

(Go figure the village they were found in is located in the Czech republic).

What about the rest of the world?

egg · 03-10-2010, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boycotteverything

According to accepted anthropology that would make those inhabitants Neanderthals, no?

Good point. According to this:

Quote:

Our species evolved not much more than 150,000 years ago, making us young compared to other hominid species, some of which survived for more than a million years.

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/perm.../expansion.php

it would be at the beginning of our species. I wonder how big the settlement is.

KIWI · 03-10-2010, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boycotteverything

According to accepted anthropology that would make those inhabitants Neanderthals, no?

take the entire history of our planet.... chuck it in a blender, pour it in a sandbox, then jump around the box, kicking and swinging..... who can be blamed for not knowing or getting it wrong?

Quote:

(Go figure the village they were found in is located in the Czech republic).

What about the rest of the world?

sent an e-mail to my mates wife, she is a Czech journo in Praque.... with an interest in this sort of thing, ....

egg · 03-10-2010, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KIWI

take the entire history of our planet.... chuck it in a blender, pour it in a sandbox, then jump around the box, kicking and swinging..... who can be blamed for not knowing or getting it wrong?

Cool. Keep us up to date, man.
sent an e-mail to my mates wife, she is a Czech journo in Praque.... with an interest in this sort of thing, ....

03-10-2010, 07:18 AM	#2
egg Free Range Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 5,695	Re: Ancient City in Iraq Wow! Cool stuff. It will be interesting to see what else they unearth. __________________ "I'm not altogether on anybody's side because no one is altogether on my side." Treebeard, The Two Towers "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Bilbo Baggins, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of The Ring EssentialOilsTM Essentially, Essential.

03-10-2010, 07:58 AM	#3
KIWI Amkoidal Akolyte Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: flat 1 lonely street Posts: 6,337	Re: Ancient City in Iraq I tend to think in terms of US archeology being the leaders in this sort of thing, and obviously with whats going on in Iraq have taken it for granted there would be no access to any of this sort of stuff ... the Czech's seem to have been quietly getting on with the job __________________ "When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself." Peter O`Toole "The purpose of science is to investigate the unexplained, not to explain the uninvestigated." ~Dr. Stephen Rorke "I love deadlines. I especially love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by" Douglas Adams

03-10-2010, 08:05 AM	#4
egg Free Range Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 5,695	Re: Ancient City in Iraq Yeah, that did strike me as I read the article. I think this is the first time I read of a Czech archeological team. __________________ "I'm not altogether on anybody's side because no one is altogether on my side." Treebeard, The Two Towers "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Bilbo Baggins, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of The Ring EssentialOilsTM Essentially, Essential.

03-10-2010, 08:23 AM	#5
KIWI Amkoidal Akolyte Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: flat 1 lonely street Posts: 6,337	Re: Ancient City in Iraq little planet, big world __________________ "When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself." Peter O`Toole "The purpose of science is to investigate the unexplained, not to explain the uninvestigated." ~Dr. Stephen Rorke "I love deadlines. I especially love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by" Douglas Adams

03-10-2010, 11:03 AM	#6
boycotteverything Amkon Rex Abjectus Known Sock or Troll Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 12,835	Re: Ancient City in Iraq According to accepted anthropology that would make those inhabitants Neanderthals, no? __________________ AmKon T&C Version 3.0 reeducate the seal©fixt™

03-10-2010, 12:47 PM	#7
skunk Custom User Title Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 16,547	Re: Ancient City in Iraq Very cool KIWI. Is this the oldest "settlement" found to date? One of the oldest human settlements in Europe has been carbon dated to 31,000 years. (Go figure the village they were found in is located in the Czech republic). What about the rest of the world?

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