Archaeologists in Iraq believe they may have found the lost tomb of King Gilgamesh - the subject of the oldest "book" in history [sic].
Now, a German-led expedition has discovered what is thought to be the entire city of Uruk - including, where the Euphrates once flowed, the last resting place of its famous King. "I don't want to say definitely it was the grave of King Gilgamesh, but it looks very similar to that described in the epic," Jorg Fassbinder, of the Bavarian department of Historical Monuments in Munich, told the BBC World Service's Science in Action programme. Magnetic In the book - actually a set of inscribed clay tablets - Gilgamesh was described as having been buried under the Euphrates, in a tomb apparently constructed when the waters of the ancient river parted following his death. "We found just outside the city an area in the middle of the former Euphrates river¿ the remains of such a building which could be interpreted as a burial," Mr Fassbinder said.
"By differences in magnetisation in the soil, you can look into the ground," Mr Fassbinder added. "The difference between mudbricks and sediments in the Euphrates river gives a very detailed structure." This creates a magnetogram, which is then digitally mapped, effectively giving a town plan of Uruk. 'Venice in the desert' "The most surprising thing was that we found structures already described by Gilgamesh," Mr Fassbinder stated.
But he said the most astonishing find was an incredibly sophisticated system of canals. "Very clearly, we can see in the canals some structures showing that flooding destroyed some houses, which means it was a highly developed system. "[It was] like Venice in the desert." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2982891.stm |
Genesis 11:4 "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens ... ".
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Gilgamesh tomb believed found
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