Editing Mitanni (section)

===Trans-Tigridian region (Northeastern Iraq)===
To the east of upper [[Tigris]] river, Trans-Tigridian region in northern Iraq, a site now called [[Bassetki]] was excavated, which in all likelihood was the ancient town of [[Mardaman|Mardama]] with Mitanni layers from 1550 to 1300 BC, as its Phase A9 (in trench T2) may alternatively represent a Middle Bronze/Late Bronze transitional, or Proto-Mitanni occupation within 16th century BC.<ref>Pfälzner, Peter, and Hasan A. Qasim, (2017). [https://www.academia.edu/36111020/The_first_and_second_season_of_German-Kurdish_excavations_at_Bassetki_in_2015_and_2016_2017_ "The First and Second Seasons of the German-Kurdish Excavations at Bassetki in 2015 and 2016"], in ''Zeitschrift fur Orient-Archaologie'' 10, Deutsches Archaologisches Institut-Orient-Abteilung, Berlin, pp. 19, 24.</ref> In a subsequent excavation season, the deeper Phase A10 was identified as having a mix of Middle Bronze and Mitanni potteries, considered to be in the turn of the Middle to the Late Bronze Age transitional period (late 17th – early 16th century BC).<ref>Pfälzner, Peter, and Hasan A. Qasim, (2019). [https://www.academia.edu/39067043/Urban_Developments_in_Northeastern_Mesopotamia_from_the_Ninevite_V_to_the_Neo_Assyrian_Periods_Excavations_at_Bassetki_in_2017_2019_ "Urban Developments in Northeastern Mesopotamia from the Ninevite V to the Neo-Assyrian Periods: Excavations at Bassetki in 2017"], in ''Zeitschrift fur Orient-Archaologie'' 11, Deutsches Archaologisches Institut-Orient-Abteilung, Berlin, p. 46: "...In Phase A10, a characteristic mix of Middle Bronze and Mittani potteries was recorded, which leads to the dating of this phase at the turn of the Middle to the Late Bronze Age, i.e. in the transitional MB III period (late 17th/early 16th century BC).</ref>

In 2010, the 3,400-year-old ruins of [[Kemune]], a [[Bronze Age]] Mitanni palace on the banks of the Tigris in modern-day [[Iraqi Kurdistan]], were discovered.<ref name="cnn1">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/iraq-palace-drought-scli-intl/index.html |title=Ancient palace emerges from drought-hit Iraq reservoir |publisher=CNN.com |date= |access-date=2009-06-28}}</ref> It became possible to excavate the ruins in 2018 and again in 2022 when a drought caused water levels to drop considerably. In the 1st excavation 10 Mitanni-era tablets were found, in Babylonian cuneiform written in Akkadian, bearing Hurrian names, dating to the Middle-Trans-Tigridian IA and IB periods.<ref>Puljiz, Ivana, et al., (2019). [https://www.academia.edu/42013483/A_New_Mittani_Centre_on_the_Middle_Tigris_Kurdistan_Region_Report_on_the_2018_Excavations_at_Kemune_2019_ "A New Mittani Centre On the Middle Tigris (Kurdistan Region): Report On the 2018 Excavations At Kemune"], in: Zeitschrift Für Orient-Archäologie 12, pp. 10-43. See '''p. 33:''' "...[pottery] dating to the Middle-Trans-Tigridian I A/B period..." Ralf Beutelschieb (2019), and "...Ten texts in Akkadian language and Babylonian cuneiform script from at least four rooms [of the palace]..." Betina Faist (2019).</ref> Middle Trans-Tigridian IA and IB are dated to ({{Circa|1550}}-1350 BC) and ({{Circa|1350}}-1270 BC) respectively by Peter Pfälzner (2007). In the 2nd excavation the entire city was mapped and 100 Middle Assyrian tablets were discovered. They were dated to after the city's destruction by earthquake and have not yet been published.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tübingen |first=University of |title=A 3,400-year-old city emerges from the Tigris River |url=https://phys.org/news/2022-05-year-old-city-emerges-tigris-river.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>

The three phases of Mitanni at [[Kurd Qaburstan]], were obtained as c. 1538–1505 BC for Phase three, with Phase two beginning c. 1512–1491 BC and ending c. 1501–1479 BC, and with Phase One beginning c. 1489–1463 BC and ending c. 1475–1435 BC. The data suggests a two century abandonment between the MBA destruction and the Mitanni re-occupation.<ref>Webster, Lyndelle C., et al. (2023).[https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/A587B892D599EBB4417186EFBD316CF7/S003382222300036Xa.pdf/towards_a_radiocarbonbased_chronology_of_urban_northern_mesopotamia_in_the_early_to_midsecond_millennium_bc_initial_results_from_kurd_qaburstan.pdf "Towards a Radiocarbon-Based Chronology of Urban Northern Mesopotamia in the Early to Mid-Second Millenium BC: Initial Results from Kurd Qaburstan"], in: Radiocarbon, pp. 1-16.</ref>