Airmen, Iraqis dig up ancient site

  • Published
  • By Maj. Charles Anthony
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  An ages-old mystery is being unearthed here thanks to some amateur archeologists serving with the 506th Air Expeditionary Group.

Iraqi archeologists have determined the air base has at least one site with artifacts dating back to between 1200 B.C. and 2600 B.C., possibly predating the ancient Assyrians. Other sites have been identified as potentially containing precious antiquities, but have yet to be excavated.

The mystery began unfolding in late March when Col. Marcus Beyerle became curious about an area that was being dug up to fill sandbags.

“During my (physical training) runs I noticed the mounds or ‘tels.’ Geologically, those hills weren’t formed by nature,” said Colonel Beyerle, the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron commander. “Several days later, I was walking through the area and I could see the different strata or layers of dirt.”

He said he knew those layers were a strong indication that ancient civilizations had used the same spot in succession, covered them up and forgot about them.

In April, Colonel Beyerle discovered an ancient clay jar that was nearly intact.

“One of the workers had evidently dug it up and had left it out lying around,” he said. “I knew General Order 1 prohibits taking any antiquities, and with the limited archeological knowledge I have, I just wanted to make sure that this history was not wiped out.”

The colonel turned that artifact and another broken piece from what was probably a jar or goblet, over to the base’s judge advocate general for safekeeping until they could be transferred to the proper Iraqi authorities.

A few days later, Maj. Mike Larkin, 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron commander, who also has a great interest in history and archeology, was walking through the site, when he came upon animal bones and shards from clay pots and jars.

At the time he was not quite sure what he had found, but he decided until the value of the items could be determined, it was better to err on the side of caution. He made arrangements to cordon off the site with concertina wire. Working with Army Civil Affairs, he brought an Iraqi archeological team to the site May 12.

Within minutes of examining the site, more clay shards and a set of small vessels, perhaps shaped from alabaster and probably used to hold medicines, were uncovered. The Iraqi archeologists became very excited.

“This is the dawn of generations,” said Sheida Muhammad Amin, archeological surveyor for the Kirkuk’s department of antiquities, through an interpreter. “This is the history of our country. The first Kurdish states began here.”

Mr. Amin explained that in 1923 an American University archeological team had done some excavations at other “tels” nearby. Those discoveries gave credence to theories that the first Kurds had settled in the area.

“But Saddam Hussein denied that Kurds had settled here long ago, because he wanted to remove the Kurds from their ancestral land,” Mr. Amin said. “Now we are free to tell the truth.”

“It was humbling to hold the artifacts in our hands and marvel at the skill and workmanship it took to make them,” Major Larkin said. “But it is more gratifying to know we helped save that history from being disposed of and that the artifacts will someday be available to the Iraqi people and their children and their children’s children, for them to examine and appreciate.”