At Kurd Qaburstan, an ancient site in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, archaeologists have uncovered the first substantial group of cuneiform administrative tablets found in the Erbil Governorate, along with evidence of large-scale destruction, mass graves, and citywide fortifications, the University of Central Florida (UCF) said in a press release. 

Together, the discoveries are providing one of the clearest archaeological records yet uncovered of siege warfare and urban life during the Middle Bronze Age.

“Our 2025 research produced clear archaeological evidence linking the site to the siege of Qabra, beginning with the first significant group of cuneiform tablets found on the Erbil Plain,” said Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history at UCF and director of the Kurd Qaburstan excavation. “Several tablets are dated within days of each other, matching the timeline of the city’s fall.” 

The UCF said the project is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and conducted in partnership with the Kurdistan Region Directorate-General of Antiquities and Heritage. The funded excavations took place during two summer seasons in 2024 and 2025. 

“The two superimposed destructions match the historical sequence of the siege of Qabra and its conquest by Shamshi Addu,” Earley-Spadoni said. “The charred debris, the large number of ceramic vessels and individuals who met untimely deaths and were buried in the destruction layers provide the clearest archaeological case of Middle Bronze Age siege warfare yet discovered in northern Mesopotamia.” 

According to the History website, the evidence from Qabra will also help scholars better understand two ancient sieges recorded in literature: the biblical story of Joshua at Jericho and Homer’s Trojan War.

“Laboratory investigations are underway, including isotopic and ancient DNA analyses of the 17 individuals,” Earley-Spadoni said. “This work will help researchers understand their origins and relationships.”