After water levels dropped overnight due to drought, an ancient palace was discovered in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The 3400-year-old masterpiece was found in the Mosul Dam reservoir on the banks of the Tigris River. It is said that the discovery will help understand the Mittani Empire. According to Kurdish archaeologist, Hasan Ahmed Qasim: “The find is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the region in recent decades.”

Apparently, when built, the palace was around 65 feet from the river, located on an elevated terrace. With mud brick walls, plastered walls and paintings, the structure is a carefully designed building. "Kemune is only the second site in the region where wall paintings of the Mittani period have been discovered,” according to archaeologist Ivana Puljiz. About the ten clay tablets that were found, Puljiz said: “From the texts, we hope to gain information on the inner structure of the Mittani empire, its economic organisation, and the relationship of the Mittani capital with the administrative centres in the neighbouring regions.”

Archaeologists had first found the site in 2010, but it was only possible to excavate recently. It is not known when the site which was submerged again will re-emerge.