Tell Zurghul, Ancient Nigin, Iraq: Preliminary Report of the New Results from Recent Excavations

Tell Zurghul, the Sumerian city Nigin in the state of Lagash, is currently being excavated by a joint Italian archaeological expedition of Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Perugia since 2014; in 2019, the Iraqi SBAH granted the expedition with an extension of the permission for archaeological research and study for the period 2019-2021. The paper presents the results of the excavation campaign carried out in the autumn of 2019: excavations focused on the extensive stratigraphic investigation of the two mounds, in order to verify and complete the archaeological evidence of the layers so far exposed (Mound B) and to investigate the morphology, stratigraphy, and occupation of Mound A with two operations on both sides (operation in Area D to the north, operation in Area E to the south).