BAGHDAD – What may look like large, weathered mounds of dirt in rural farmland near Mahmudiyah are actually artifact-filled ruins of an ancient civilization. Soldiers of the N. Carolina NG's 120th CAB, 30th HBCT, surveyed the sites, here, recently, with officials from the Govt of Iraq's Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism, to examine ways to preserve and protect 2 ancient Sumerian sites from looters.
The complexes of dirt mounds – Tal Aldair and Sobbar Abu Habba – were once Sumerian city walls outside of what is today Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad. Pottery and clay tablets with the world's first form of writing, Cuneiform, are known to be in the mounds. The Sumerian culture is the oldest civilization in the world, dating back to the 6th century B.C.
"It's for the world and not just Iraq to preserve these world heritage sites, because a lot of folks know it as the cradle of civilization," said Maj. Charles Morrison, EO for the 120th CAB. "These [Sumerians] were the first people we know of in history to be able to write and keep records, and those are the kinds of artifacts that are here today."
Morrison, an inf. officer, is taking a lead in the project. A self-described history buff, Morrison formerly worked for the N. Carolina of Archives and History.
Nouri Kathem, an archaeologist with the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism, led Morrison over the mounds. Thousands of years of erosion have worn down the once city walls and temple structures, exposing countless pieces of clay pottery and other artifacts. Many more are still buried in the centuries-old mounds.
"They've been with us today to make sure we don't damage any of the archaeological sites, when we emplace the fence and scope of work," said Morrison. The plans call for security fences, and possibly, guard shacks to protect the sites. Signs would also be erected to let Iraqis know about the historical significance of the sites.
