Kemune (Zahiku)

Kemune (thought to be the ancient city of Zakhiku) is an archaeological site discovered during a low water level in the reservoir of the Mosul Dam in the Nineveh Governorate, part of the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2013 [1]. The Mitanni era city was destroyed by an earthquake around 1350 BC [1]. The site was first excavated by German and Kurdish archaeologists in Autumn 2018 [1]. The excavation was led by Ivana Puljiz of the University of Tübingen [1]. Ten Mitanni-era tablets were discovered [1]. In 2021 extremely low water levels in the reservoir, due to a severe drought, again exposed the site and, in January and February 2022 the Kurdistan Archaeology Organization and University of Tübingen conducted additional emergency rescue excavations [1]. In addition to mapping the majority of the site, about 100 cuneiform tablets were recovered [1].