Tell Khaiber, Archaeological tell in Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq.
Tell Khaiber consists of two distinct mounds covering approximately 300 by 250 meters in southern Mesopotamia near Nasiriyah. The site contains the remains of thick walls and defensive towers that surrounded the administrative building at its center.
Excavations from 2013 to 2017 uncovered a large administrative building filled with 145 clay tablets from the early second millennium. The site shows connections to earlier Mesopotamian periods through inscribed bricks linking it to trade networks of that era.
Tablets discovered here record how administrators managed grain supplies and organized distributions for the local population. They reveal the daily work of officials who oversaw resources and coordinated activities within this settlement.
The site sits in a flat, dry landscape south of Nasiriyah and can be explored on foot with the two mounds serving as clear reference points. Visitors should bring water and sun protection, and local guides can help navigate the unexcavated portions of the terrain.
Several baked bricks at the site bear stamped royal names from an early Mesopotamian dynasty, suggesting surprising long-distance connections. These marks indicate the settlement was integrated into broader political and economic networks that extended far beyond its immediate surroundings.
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