Bassetki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bassetki Arabic: باستكي Mardaman?
Bassetki Location in Iraqi Kurdistan
Country	Iraq
Governorate	Dohuk Governorate
Districts	Simele District

Bassetki (Kurdish: باستکێ, romanized: Bassetkî) is a small village in Iraq. It is located in the Dohuk Governorate within the Kurdistan Region. This area has its own government. Bassetki is famous for its many important archaeological discoveries. These finds help us learn about ancient times.

A Long History in Bassetki

People have lived in Bassetki for a very long time. It was home to different groups of people during many periods. These include the Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, and times when the Mittani, Assyrian, and Hellenistic empires were powerful. Experts think Bassetki might be the ancient city of Mardaman.

Uncovering Ancient Secrets: Archaeology in Bassetki

Archaeologists have found many amazing things in Bassetki. These discoveries tell us about the people who lived there thousands of years ago.

The Bassetki Statue

In 1975, a special piece of a statue was found near Bassetki. It was part of a figure of Naram-Sin of Akkad. He was a powerful king from a very old empire. This statue is known as the Bassetki Statue. It was stolen from the National Museum of Iraq during the Iraq War. Luckily, soldiers later found it and returned it.

Discovering a Bronze Age City

Since 2016, archaeologists have been digging in Bassetki. Teams from the University of Tübingen in Germany and the Directorate of Antiquities in Dohuk are working together. They have found a huge city from the Bronze Age. This city started around 3000 BC and thrived for over 1,200 years.

Around 2700 BC, the city built a strong wall. This wall protected the upper part of the city from enemies. The city also had many roads, different neighborhoods for homes, and a large palace. A cemetery was located just outside the city walls. This ancient city was connected to other parts of Mesopotamia and Anatolia. It had a trade route that was used around 1800 BC. The archaeologists also found signs of the Akkadian Empire in Bassetki. This empire once ruled over much of modern Iraq. The University of Tübingen announced these exciting finds in November 2016.

Hidden Tablets and the Lost City of Mardaman

In 2017, archaeologists made another incredible discovery. They found 3,200-year-old cuneiform tablets. These tablets were hidden inside ceramic jugs. They were found on the eastern slope of Bassetki. These special tablets revealed the location of the ancient royal city of Mardaman. It seems Mardaman might have been where Bassetki is today! The tablets are from around 1250 BC. At that time, the area was part of the Middle Assyrian Empire. In the same room where the tablets were found, many Faience objects were discovered. Faience is a type of glazed pottery. These objects included bowls, decorations, and tokens. It looks like Faience was both made and stored in that room.

Archaeological digs continued in Bassetki in 2018 and 2019.

Nearby Discoveries at Muqable

Archaeologists have also been digging at a nearby site called Muqable. It is about 5 kilometers southeast of Bassetki. There, they found an old building complex from the Middle Assyrian period. This shows that the area around Bassetki was also important long ago.

See also

In Spanish: Bassetki para niños