Iraq: Archaeologists Discover 5,000-Year-Old ‘Tavern’

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of “tavern» almost 5,000 years ago, a discovery that will allow us to better understand the life of ordinary people in the first cities of the world.

An American-Italian team made a discovery in the ruins of ancient Lagash, northwest of the city of Nasiriya, famous for being one of the first urban centers of the ancient Sumerian civilization. Iraq.

A joint team from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pisa discovered the remains of a primitive refrigeration system, a large oven, dining benches, and about 150 bowls of leftover food.”

The bowls contained the bones of fish and other animals, as well as traces of beer consumption, which was common among the Sumerians.

“We have a fridge, we have hundreds of bowls ready to be served, benches that people have sat on… and behind the fridge is an oven where food was cooked,” project director Holly Pittman told AFP.

“We understand that this was a place where people, ordinary people, came to eat, and this is not a home,” he added.

“Call tavern because beer is by far the most common drink of the Sumerians, more so than water,” he said, noting that in one of the temples excavated in the area, “a recipe for beer was found on a cuneiform tablet.”

Ordinary people

The first cities in the world arose in the territory of the present south Iraqafter the agricultural surplus generated by the domestication of crops allowed new social classes to emerge.

The region of Lagash, located near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates, was called the “garden of the gods” for its fertility and gave rise to a number of Sumerian cities dating back to the early dynastic period.

“Lagash was one of the important cities in the south IraqThis was reported to AFP by Iraqi archaeologist Baker Azab Wali, who worked with the university team at the site.

“Its inhabitants depend on agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and the exchange of goods,” he said.

Pittman said the team wants to learn more about the work of those who came to tavern during its heyday, around 2700 BC, in order to better understand the social structure of the first cities.

A detailed analysis of samples taken during the team’s excavations in November will be required.

“There’s a lot we don’t know about this initial period of city growth, and that’s what we’re studying,” he said.

“We hope to be able to characterize the areas and occupations (…) of the people who lived in this great city but were not the elite,” he added.

“Most of the work done elsewhere is focused on kings and priests, which is very important, but the common people are also important,” he said.

(According to AFP)

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Fernando Carvallo selects information and shares his vision of national and international news. subscribe to our Las cosas newsletter, as they should be reading your daily columns.