Iraq has been hit hard by drought this year and in order not to lose crops, water from the large Mosul Reservoir is being actively withdrawn.

This led to a gradual drop in the water level and exposed the ancient settlement. Its presence there did not surprise specialists, but the possibility of research is very encouraging, Planet- today reported.

The fact is that the dam, which led to the filling of the river valley with water, was built in the 80s, under the government of Saddam Hussein. At the time, Iraq was in dire need of electricity, so the project did not provide for any archaeological surveys, and as a result, the water flooded many ancient monuments.

When the water level exposed the buildings, specialists rushed to measure and document the finds. Because the water could rise again, the archaeologists worked as fast as they could. They were able to make a fairly detailed map of the city and made many important discoveries.