ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Archaeologists working at the ancient site of Kurd Qaburstan southwest of Erbil have uncovered what researchers describe the clearest archaeological records of Bronze Age siege warfare ever found in northern Mesopotamia, including cuneiform tablets, burned buildings and the remains of people killed during the city's destruction around 4,000 years ago.
The discoveries, made during excavation seasons in 2024 and 2025 by a team from the University of Central Florida, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University and Michigan State University, provide rare physical evidence of a major conflict that historians have long known mainly through royal inscriptions.
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-led-excavation-reveals-evidence-of-life-conflict-in-ancient-mesopotamia/
"Our 2025 research produced clear archaeological evidence linking the site to the siege of Qabra, beginning with the first significant group of cuneiform tablets found on the Erbil plain," the University of Central Florida cited Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history at the university and director of the Kurd Qaburstan project, as saying earlier this month. "Several tablets are dated within days of each other, matching the timeline of the city's fall."
The team conducted excavations during the summer seasons of 2024 and 2025 and has recently announced the scientific results of their findings.
The site has been proposed by American archaeologists as the ancient city of Qabra, though Kurdistan Region Director General of Antiquities Kaify Mustafa said the city was known as "Kurdaa," noting that "the city has been referred to by this name in various previously discovered cuneiform tablets."
Mustafa told Rudaw on Sunday that archaeological evidence indicates the city "was attacked, occupied, and destroyed by an Assyrian king and his ally."
Researchers recovered 20 cuneiform tablets and more than 100 administrative sealings from destruction layers within a palace complex. According to Earley-Spadoni, "Most of the tablets are administrative and provide a snapshot of palace life and the economy of the ancient city," adding that "one tablet appears to have been written by a high-ranking official in ancient Qabra."
Historical records suggest the city was besieged by an alliance led by Assyrian king Shamshi-Adad I and Dadusha, ruler of the kingdom of Eshnunna, during the Middle Bronze Age.
Excavations uncovered two distinct layers of destruction, supporting accounts of a prolonged siege followed by the city's capture and destruction.
"The two superimposed destructions match the historical sequence of the siege of Qabra and its conquest by Shamshi Addu," Earley-Spadoni said. "The charred debris, the large number of ceramic vessels, and individuals who met untimely deaths and were buried in the destruction layers provide the clearest archaeological case of Middle Bronze Age siege warfare yet discovered in northern Mesopotamia."
Among the most striking discoveries were the remains of 17 individuals found inside the ruins of a palace. Researchers said the victims were not formally buried and appear to have died during the attack.
"The individuals were not formally buried and had no associated grave goods," Earley-Spadoni said. "Some appear to have been left where they died, including possible palace workers. One individual was found face down over a stone basin."
The findings challenge traditional views that southern Mesopotamian cities dominated early urban civilization.
"The evidence from Kurd Qaburstan shows that northern cities could be large, complex and politically significant, with administrative systems, fortifications and infrastructure comparable to those of the best-known southern sites," Earley-Spadoni said.
According to Mustafa, the discovery is very important, saying it demonstrates that "simultaneously with - or even before - the Sumerians and other ancient civilizations, civilization flourished in Kurdistan and the Zagros foothills before spreading to southern Iraq and other regions of Mesopotamia."
Bzhar Zuber contributed to this report.
