Archaeologists in northern Iraq have uncovered ancient tombs, exposed by record low water levels. But the process that made the discovery possible, drought, is making life harder for those who live there today.

Mosul

A prolonged drought in Iraq has led to the discovery of around 40 ancient tombs near the Mosul Dam, believed to date back over 2,000 years, possibly to the era of Alexander the Great. The tombs, previously submerged by the lake formed after the dam's construction in the 1980s, are being transferred to a museum for further study.

The drought has also devastated local agriculture, forcing many farmers to abandon their land and livestock. Authorities have responded with bans on summer farming and rice cultivation in an effort to manage the water shortage. Iraq attributes part of the crisis to upstream dam construction by neighboring countries, while the broader region continues to struggle with the effects of climate change.

Drought in Iraq unearths more than 2,000 years old tombs

The people buried in these graves may have lived alongside Alexander the Great 2,300 years ago. Now, another conquering force has revealed them to the science of the 21st century, climate change. In 2023, about four or five tombs were discovered. But after this evacuation, we have discovered around 40 tombs that are currently visible to the eye. We are currently in the process of transferring them to the museum for further study. The excavation site is on the edge of a lake formed by the construction of the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River in the 1980s. In 2010, receding waters exposed another treasure for archaeologists, a palace from the Mitanni Empire dating back 3,400 years. Downstream, the prolonged drought has put farmers in a state of perpetual crisis. Many have left. I used to grow rice here five years ago and also wheat. I had livestock as well, but I was forced to sell them. Now, as you can see, the land is barren. Nothing can be grown here. It's all over. The water shortage has prompted authorities to impose strict measures. The National Water Committee has issued three declarations, a ban on summer farming, a ban on rice cultivation, and a ban on any unauthorized agricultural activities during the summer season. Iraq says the construction of dams by Turkey and Iran upstream is straining its shrinking reservoirs. But those countries are also suffering from severe water shortfalls. Climate change is leaving a mark on the region that could last far longer than any empire. Wilson Dysart, Al Jazeera.

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Sana'a

Middle East Conflict

Houthis raid UN offices in Yemen, detain 11 employees

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Caracas

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Kabul

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Washington

Global Tariffs

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Chicago

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Hershey

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Barcelona

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Beijing

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Punjab

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Tianjin

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Zaporizhzhia

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Minneapolis

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New York

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Paris

Ukraine Invasion

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Bangkok

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Beirut

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Moscow

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Kyiv

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Breakdown