Iraqis plan dig at possible Sumerian site

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Archaeologists will soon begin a dig at a site in the southern Iraqi province of Muthanna that may date back to the Sumerian period, local heritage chief Tawfiq Mohammed said on Thursday.


The excavation will take place in hills near Rumetha, just north of the provincial capital Samawa, Mohammed said, referring to an area on the banks of the Euphrates River.

"This place is a very important heritage site," he said. "The exploration could lead to the discovery of orginal architecture that can be added to the heritage of Mesopotamia"

What is now Iraq is often described as the cradle of civilisation, with some of the first evidence of complex urban life appearing within its borders around 3,000 BC.

Baghdad is keen to capitalise on some 10,000 historic sites across the country to attract tourists.