NMC Lecture: Archaeological Activities in Al Qadisiyah Region, South of Iraq: Mi.Enlil- Arakhtum Survey and Marad Excavations

This talk will provide a summary of a decade and a half’s work of the Iraqi team. The talk will go over two main operations that the team has been carrying out: the Mi-Enlil-Arahtum survey, and the excavations at Tell es-Sadoum, ancient Tell Marad.

The Mi-Enlil-Arahtum survey was initiated in 2016 by the author and his team of students in the Qadisiya governorate, mainly in areas around the city of Diwaniya. The name, Mi-Enlil-Arahtum, is derived from the ancient names of the two branches of the Euphrates River which were attested in cuneiform sources. The aims of this survey were two-fold: first, to fill the gap in coverage between Adam’s (1981) and Gibson’s (1972) survey works to the south and north respectively. Second, providing clearer understanding of the landscape and settlement history in the area.

The second part of the talk will be a look at the excavations the team has been conducting at Tell es-Sadoum. Tell es-Sadoum, represent the ruins of the ancient city of Marad, an Old Babylonian capital city. The site is located some 25 km northwest of current day Diwaniyah, the capital of Al-Qadisiyah province. Our excavations at the site, which will be discussed in our talk, shed light on old Babylonian developments and urban growth in the region.

* See the event poster: March 25-Al-Hussainy.pdf