The British Museum and Iraqi archaeologists have announced the discovery of a monumental palace in the ancient city of Girsu (modern-day Tello). This structure, dating back to the mid-3rd millennium BCE, predates the Akkadian Empire and offers a rare glimpse into the Early Dynastic period of Sumerian civilization.
The palace features thick mud-brick walls and a complex drainage system, along with several rooms containing administrative seals. This discovery is expected to rewrite the history of early urban governance in Mesopotamia, providing evidence of a centralized authority long before the rise of Sargon the Great.