Sculpture of a victorious soldier
Garmiyan archaeological directorate discovers ancient site on International Museum Day
GARMIYAN — The Garmiyan Archaeological Directorate announced on Saturday the discovery of an ancient site on Mount Khoshk in Sulaymaniyah’s Garmiyan area, which coincided with International Museum Day.
The directorate was first alerted to the site on Sept. 7, 2023. Salah Mohammed, director of the Garmiyan Archaeological Directorate, told 964media, “We visited the site the following day and began our research. We had not disclosed this discovery earlier due to some security concerns in the area, as some people have tampered with its archaeological sites.”
To ensure future protection, he emphasized the readiness of security forces and urged the public to recognize the historical significance of such sites. “This is the history of this country and our nation. People should be aware not to target these sites for financial gain. They wouldn’t even get paid, as those who urge them only aim to destroy the country’s history,” Mohammed said.
Over the past five months, three legal cases related to damage to archaeological sites have been submitted to the court but have yet to be addressed. The suspects are currently detained.
The site features a sculpture of a victorious soldier with his feet on the head of a captive. It is about four meters tall and dates back nearly 4,000 years, Mohammed said.
A team of university professors and archaeologists from Sulaymaniyah University are conducting detailed research on the site, and the findings will be published soon in both Kurdish and English.
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