New York Daily News:
NOVEMBER 1, 1956
Ruins of Ancient
Sumerian city unearthed in Southeast Iraq.
Discovery: Ruins found near the Tigris River may be the oldest yet
unearthed.
By Edwin James, Science Writer.
Two
small shards of pottery was all it took to begin the search for a city
experts now call Agaparthea. The
pottery fragments were reliably dated to around 3000 BC.
If scientists estimates are correct, the city of Agaparthea
would be the oldest city yet unearthed in this region.
Older even than Ur herself.
Dr.
Anthony Hochard and his wife June are leading the expedition.
“It’s been almost 3 years since we first found the
pottery,” comments Dr. Hochard.
“I hope to take the knowledge and experience I gained during
my years at Ur and apply it to the excavation of Agaparthea.”
Dr
Hochard and his wife worked for 9 years under the tutelage of Sir
Charles Leonard Woolley, author of “Excavations at Ur: A Record of
12 Years’ Work.” If preliminary findings are correct, the apprentice could
eventually outshine the master.
“If
it’s found to be the oldest city in Mesopotamia,” said Dr. Stephen
Acre, head of Archeology at Washington State University.
“The work done at Ur will seem insignificant in
comparison.”
Sir
Leonard Woolley could not be reached for comment.
Based
on the early inscriptions uncovered, the city of Agaparthea may have
been abandoned by the time the Archaic Sumerian era (3000 to 2600 BC)
began. This gives
archeologists the unique opportunity to catch an untainted glimpse of
civilization at its earliest beginnings. Just as the nomadic herders began to gather together and form
farming communities. It
is still unclear as to why the city was deserted.
“It will take some time to determine the reason Agaparthea
was abandoned,” Hochard said. “We
believe it may have been some form of cataclysmic event.”
Contrary
to initial reports, a great flood of biblical proportions is not being
considered as a possibility. Although
evidence was uncovered at Ur that might lend credence to the
possibility of a great Deluge of water in this region, it is more
likely that Agaparthea was destroyed by fire.
“We have seen evidence of what may be a large crater near the
center of the city,” Hochard said.
“And we are not ruling out the possibility of an impact from
an asteroid or even volcanic activity.”
Source: Science
Researched by EDWIN JAMES
