An ancient game board, building remains and three clay tablets recently discovered by archaeologists in northeastern Iraq provide new details about Mesopotamian life.

The clay tablets are the first cuneiform tablets from the Middle Bronze Age to be found in the region, according to a Jan. 14 news release from the University of Central Florida. They were uncovered by Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, an associate professor of history at the university, and a team of archaeologists.

The findings support the idea that the excavation site of Kurd Qaburstan is the ancient city of regional capital Qabra, but much of the city’s history remains hidden, aside from information found in records written by neighboring enemies, according to the fieldwork notes.

Once experts interpret the tablets, more information about the city — including literacy and the cultural identity — will be revealed, researchers said.

“It would be really exciting to tell the story of Qabra from its own point of view because one thing that historians of the ancient Middle East know well is that certain kinds of ancient documents can be very one-sided in their approach,” Earley-Spadoni told McClatchy News in a phone interview Thursday.

In some cases, records from opposing cities have told completely different stories, she said.

—What is known about Qabra?

Currently, the most notable historical sources with information about Qabra are two stone monuments, known as stelaes, which were used to commemorate events, Earley-Spadoni said.

These specific stelaes were constructed by two kings who made an alliance and went to war against Qabra, she said.

“Each made this monument when they were victorious, to tell the story of war against Qabra — of executing the king of Qabra and displaying his head,” Earley-Spadoni said.

Researchers have also discovered letters from the region in the Syrian archaeological site of Mari that mention Qabra, she said.

—Finding the tablets

The first tablet was discovered on June 22, 2024, in what would have been a deposit of trash, rubble and human remains in a palace, Earley-Spadoni said.

To help excavate the site, archaeologists used magnetometer technologies to look through the ground and see architectural plans, according to the release.

“When we pulled the first one out of the ground, there was a lot of excitement,” she said. “And when we found the second one, there was even more excitement.”

The second and third tablets were found in what would have been a more administrative context of the palace, she said, adding that there were clues suggesting a potential to find more administrative documents and letters in that area.

—What else do researchers hope to learn from the translation?

Along with the palace, Earley-Spadoni said her team is excavating houses in nearby areas in hopes of learning what daily life would have looked like for the average person in Qabra.

There’s a disagreement on whether or not there was an ancient middle class, with some scholars saying there was no in between and other saying a middle class was very important to how ancient cities functioned, she said.

“One of the questions that we have is whether we can find evidence for an ancient middle class at a city like Kurd Qaburstan,” Earley-Spadoni said.

Kurd Qaburstan is a large archaeological site that spans more than 247 acres and is located southwest of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

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