Archaeologists working in the southern marshes of Iraq have discovered a previously unknown 4,000-year-old ritual platform that bears striking similarities to early Sumerian Ziggurats. The platform is made of multi-layered mud bricks and was found during a period of low water levels in the marshlands.
The site has yielded hundreds of ritual clay figurines and stone foundation pegs inscribed with early cuneiform dedications. Experts believe this platform may have served as a precursor to the massive temple towers of Ur and Eridu, illustrating the early evolution of Mesopotamian religious architecture in a marshy environment.