The Erbil Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage, in collaboration with the University of Milan, held a press conference to present the findings of ongoing archaeological excavations at the Aliawa and Helawa mounds in the Erbil Plain.
The event featured addresses from Dr. Nadir Babakr, Director of Erbil Antiquities and Heritage, and Tommaso Sansone, Consul General of Italy in the Kurdistan Region, who reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to supporting heritage preservation across the region. Professor Luca Peyronel, head of the Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Erbil Plain (MAIPE), presented the scientific results of the recent season alongside findings gathered by co-director Dr. Agnese Vacca. Supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the joint team has conducted field research at the sites since 2016.
The joint investigations reveal a continuous timeline spanning over 9,000 years of human settlement in the Erbil Plain, tracing the region’s development from early agricultural communities through early urban centers to major ancient empires and the Islamic era.
At Gird-i Helawa (Helawa Mound), excavations uncovered occupational layers dating to the Halaf and Ubaid periods of the 6th and 5th millennia BCE, including domestic structures and a kiln workshop. On the mound’s summit, researchers exposed two monumental, tripartite buildings dating to the early 4th millennium BCE, alongside clay sealings used to secure goods for storage and redistribution, offering evidence of early administrative and socioeconomic systems.
At Gird-i Aliawa (Aliawa Mound), the team documented a major industrial area dating back to the Akkadian period in the second half of the 3rd millennium BCE. Discoveries include more than 50 brick-firing kilns, firing chambers, and well-preserved production facilities, providing rare physical evidence of mass industrial manufacturing in ancient Mesopotamia.
