Two major road construction projects in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region have uncovered previously unknown archaeological remains dating to the ancient Parthian, Sasanian, and early Islamic periods. The discoveries are offering researchers a rare opportunity to study how communities lived beyond the ancient center of Erbil, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities.
Archaeologists made the discoveries during rescue excavations at two construction sites. One is along the Erbil–Koya highway, while the other is on Erbil’s expanding 150-meter (492-foot) ring road. The findings suggest that ancient settlements extended far beyond the city’s famous citadel and remained occupied across several centuries.
Highway excavation reveals Sasanian artifacts
Excavations along the Erbil–Koya highway uncovered ceramic jars, pottery fragments, mirrors, cosmetic tools likely used for eye makeup, and a seal. The Koya Antiquities Directorate has identified the collection as dating to the Sasanian period, which lasted from the third to the seventh century CE.
According to PUKmedia, officials had identified two archaeological sites along the highway before construction began. The Koya Antiquities Directorate proposed a joint excavation with a Chinese university in 2022, but the project was postponed because of limited funding.
The excavation finally moved forward after road construction reached the protected area. The construction company agreed to finance rescue excavations, allowing archaeologists to recover and document the remains before work continued.
Fieldwork began in late May and was largely completed within a month. Researchers are now cleaning, recording and studying the recovered artifacts to determine their exact age, purpose and historical context. The seal could provide valuable information if its inscription or design is still identifiable, while the mirrors and cosmetic tools offer a rare glimpse into personal grooming and daily life during the Sasanian era.
Ring road exposes centuries of occupation
A second rescue excavation is underway along Erbil’s 150-meter (492-foot) ring road, where archaeologists have identified 14 archaeological sites between the Kasnazan Road and the Mosul–Gopal Road.
Work has focused on the Baghlominara neighborhood and the historic Azza site, where a planned 60-meter (197-foot) road intersects the larger ring-road project.
“At this intersection, we have begun excavations across a designated strip approximately 600 meters in length,” Erbil Antiquities and Heritage Director Dr. Nadir Babakir Mohammed said.
Archaeologists uncovered previously unknown Parthian, Sasanian and early Islamic remains during highway and ring road construction near Erbil. The discoveries include pottery, mirrors, cosmetic tools and a seal, offering new clues about life beyond the ancient city of Arbela. pic.twitter.com/aJ0Hai5g0T
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) July 13, 2026
The excavations are being supervised by the General Directorate of Antiquities and the Erbil Antiquities and Heritage Directorate, with archaeologists from Salahaddin University participating. Officials said construction cannot continue through protected areas until archaeological investigations are complete.
Preliminary excavations have uncovered pottery fragments dating to the Parthian, Sasanian and early Islamic periods. Researchers have not yet determined whether the sites served as settlements, farms, trading centers or administrative locations.
Discoveries expand Erbil’s ancient landscape
Modern Erbil developed around the ancient city of Arbela, an important political and religious center during the Assyrian Empire. The city later became part of the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian empires before coming under Islamic rule in the seventh century.
Researchers say the newly recovered pottery and artifacts could reveal how communities around Erbil adapted during these political changes. Pottery styles, manufacturing techniques and clay composition can help trace trade and regional connections, while seals and personal belongings may provide evidence of administration, ownership and household life.
Erbil’s famous citadel, identified by UNESCO with ancient Arbela, preserves more than 30 meters (98 feet) of archaeological deposits documenting the early development of urban life in Mesopotamia. The latest discoveries show that the city’s archaeological heritage extends well beyond the citadel.
As Erbil continues to expand, rescue excavations are revealing hidden evidence of communities that lived through the final centuries of Parthian rule, the Sasanian period, and the rise of the early Islamic world.
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