April 29, 2003
Archaeologists in Iraq believe they may have
found the lost tomb of King Gilgamesh - the subject of the oldest "book" in
history.
Photo: Gilgamesh was believed to be two-thirds god, one-third
human
The Epic Of Gilgamesh - written by a Middle Eastern scholar 2,500
years before the birth of Christ - commemorated the life of the ruler of the
city of Uruk, from which Iraq gets its name.
Now, a German-led expedition
has discovered what is thought to be the entire city of Uruk - including, where
the Euphrates once flowed, the last resting place of its famous King.
"I
don't want to say definitely it was the grave of King Gilgamesh, but it looks
very similar to that described in the epic," Jorg Fassbinder, of the Bavarian
department of Historical Monuments in Munich, told the BBC World Service's
Science in Action programme.
Magnetic
In the book - actually a set
of inscribed clay tablets - Gilgamesh was described as having been buried under
the Euphrates, in a tomb apparently constructed when the waters of the ancient
river parted following his death.
"We found just outside the city an area
in the middle of the former Euphrates river¿ the remains of such a building
which could be interpreted as a burial," Mr Fassbinder said.
Who can
compare with him in kingliness? Who can say, like Gilgamesh, I am king? - The
Epic Of Gilgamesh
He said the amazing discovery of the ancient city under
the Iraqi desert had been made possible by modern technology.
"By
differences in magnetisation in the soil, you can look into the ground," Mr
Fassbinder added.
"The difference between mudbricks and sediments in the
Euphrates river gives a very detailed structure."
This creates a
magnetogram, which is then digitally mapped, effectively giving a town plan of
Uruk.
'Venice in the desert'
"The most surprising thing was that
we found structures already described by Gilgamesh," Mr Fassbinder
stated.
Iraq has long been the site of some of the most important
historical finds
"We covered more than 100 hectares. We have found garden
structures and field structures as described in the epic, and we found
Babylonian houses."
But he said the most astonishing find was an
incredibly sophisticated system of canals.
"Very clearly, we can see in
the canals some structures showing that flooding destroyed some houses, which
means it was a highly developed system.
"[It was] like Venice in the
desert."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2982891.stm