Archaeologists may have discovered lost city of Natouni in ancient Iraq fortress

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Archaeologists may have discovered lost royal city in ancient fortress
Misty Severi - Yesterday 5:48 PM
Washington Examiner



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Archaeologists may have discovered lost royal city in ancient fortress


Archaeologists discovered an ancient fortress in Iraqi Kurdistan that experts believe could be the lost royal city of Natounia from 2,000 years ago, according to research published Tuesday in the academic journal Antiquity.

The ancient fortress, named Rabana-Merquly, was found on the border of Adiabene, an ancient Mesopotamian kingdom, in the current Zagros Mountains, according to lead researcher Michael Brown. The research team speculates the remains of the lost city of Natounia were in the Zagros Mountains based on descriptions from a few coins that date back to the first century BCE.

"The location near to (but admittedly not on) the Lower Zab/ancient Kapros river, short occupation, and royal imagery all link the archaeological site to the description we can deduce from coinage. There are also some unusual high status tombs nearby," Brown told CNN. "It's a circumstantial argument. ... Rabana-Merquly is not the only possibility for Natounia, but arguably the best candidate by far (for) the 'lost' city, which has to be in the region somewhere."

The name comes from the Adiabene king Natounissar and the Parthian word for "moat" or "fortification," according to Brown, a researcher at the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory, and Near-Eastern Archaeology at Heidelberg University in Germany. The fortress comprises a defensive wall that stretches 2.5 miles long, two small settlements, carved rock reliefs, and a religious complex. Carvings on the front of the fortress show an Adiabene king, based on his appearance and dress, Brown added, which is similar to carvings from the ancient Adiabene city of Hatra.

The discovery, which was first made in 2009, has been the feature of many digs between 2009 and 2022. Brown said the amount of effort that went into running and building the large fortress further pointed to the idea that the remains were from an important governmental city. However, even if it was not Natounia, the fortress was still likely used for trade with pastoral tribes to maintain diplomatic ties with other ancient civilizations, or for military purposes.

The current investigation into the Zagros Mountains was funded by the German Research Foundation to investigate Parthian settlements and society on the Iraq and Iran border, which remains incomplete, according to Science Daily.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/archaeologists-may-have-discovered-lost-royal-city-in-ancient-fortress/