The Girsu Project

The rediscovery of Girsu in the 19th century revealed the Sumerian civilisation to the world. However, after the Second World War and the ensuing conflicts in Iraq, there was limited focus on the site. For more than 80 years it has been left open and exposed with no conservation work to address long-term stability or issues of erosion.

This project will 'revive' Girsu by raising awareness of its importance as an archaeological site. It also marks a new beginning in the search for the origins of urban life and its significance for early state formation, the invention of writing and the development of complex societies. 

So far, the project has worked alongside Iraqi colleagues to investigate the world's earliest bridge, the temple and the sanctuary of Ningirsu and the city's administrative centre in Tablet Hill. This has revealed a wealth of information on the origins of Girsu and the birth of urban centres in Mesopotamia. The project has also provided training to Iraqi archaeologists and conservators, as well as university students, and engaged with communities close to the site.

Important finds will soon be displayed in the Iraq Museum in Baghdad and outcomes will be disseminated through a wide range of publications.

The project will:

• Reinterpret the ancient city of Girsu through new fieldwork and re-examination of older discoveries.
• Provide capacity-building training to Iraqi archaeologists, conservators and university students as part of the research excavations, demonstrating innovative methods, new technologies and best practice to trainees to support current and future archaeological projects across Iraq.
• Undertake new excavations and re-excavate areas inadequately recorded before 1933. This will provide an opportunity to re-contextualise museum objects originating from these buildings and ensure proper documentation and conservation. Looting is also a major problem at the site, which the project addresses through the forensic excavation of robber holes to help establish the provenance of stolen objects from the site.
• Document all material uncovered at Girsu between 1877 and 1933, now dispersed in collections around the world, to re-contextualise collecting histories and re-evaluate objects newly excavated at the site.
• Produce comprehensive topographical and geophysical mapping, scanning and 3D modelling of the site complemented by programmes of non-invasive geoarchaeological fieldwork that reconstruct the ancient environmental setting and its hinterland.
• Result in the publication of seminal books and other contributions to the history and archaeology of Girsu and the Sumerian world.
• Prepare the site to welcome visitors with the installation of information panels and signposts, and increase digital accessibility to the site. 

Project supporter 

Supported by

Meditor Trust