Lost 4,500-year-old palace of mythical Sumerian king unearthed

A team of archaeologists have discovered the remains of a lost Sumerian palace and temple in the ancient city of Girsu dating back at least 4,500 years to the third millennium BCE.

The significant discovery in Tello in the south of Iraq, is the result of the Girsu Project, a joint initiative to save endangered heritage sites led by the British Museum, the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) of Iraq, and Getty.

Tello is the modern Arabic name for the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu, one of the earliest known cities in the world.

Between 3,500 and 2,000 BCE, the Sumerians invented writing and created the first codes of law.

The discovery of the city of Girsu 140 years ago revealed the existence of the Sumerian civilisation, and shed light on some of the most important monuments of Mesopotamian art and architecture.