Scientists Think They've Found a Huge Goddess-Worshiping Lost City In Iraq

[Judi Lynn]

1. Ancient fortress found by archaeologists may be a lost royal city

By Katie Hunt, CNN

Updated 7:01 PM ET, Tue July 19, 2022



Researchers excavate the perimeter wall at the entrance to Rabana Valley in Iraqi Kurdistan.

(CNN)A 2,000-year-old fortress built on a mountainside in what's now Iraqi Kurdistan could be part of a lost royal city called Natounia.

With the help of drone photography, archaeologists excavated and cataloged the site during a series of digs between 2009 and 2022. Situated in the Zagros Mountains, the stone fortress of Rabana-Merquly comprises fortifications nearly 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long, two smaller settlements, carved rock reliefs and a religious complex.

The fortress was on the border of Adiabene, a minor kingdom governed by the kings of a local dynasty. These rulers would have paid tribute to the neighboring Parthian Empire, which extended over parts of Iran and Mesopotamia approximately 2,000 years ago, according to research led by Michael Brown, a researcher at the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory and Near-Eastern Archaeology of Heidelberg University in Germany, with the help of Iraqi colleagues.

Carvings at the entrance to the fortress depict a king of Adiabene, based on the dress of the figure, in particular his hat, Brown said. The carving resembles other likenesses of Adiabene kings, particularly one found 143 miles (230 kilometers) away at the site of an ancient city called Hatra.

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https://us.cnn.com/2022/07/19/world/iraq-fortress-lost-city-scn/index.html