The State Board of Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq (SBAH) invites you to participate the

first

Sumer: Archaeological Conference at Ur, 2025

This scientific meeting on the archaeology of ancient Sumer will highlight the

exceptional importance of Sumerian civilization from earliest prehistory through the

first millennium BCE. While all of Mesopotamia is considered, this conference will

emphasize the results of archaeological missions and surveys which have been carried

out in Dhi Qar Province by both Iraqi and International teams over the past decade.

During this period, major projects have begun new research questions and employed

new methods and technologies. Summaries of their results will be presented and

discussed for all interested researchers so that new synergies and collaborations will

arise.

Dhi Qar province is the home of hundreds of archaeological and heritage sites

reflecting the cultural richness and multiculturalism of the region. Nasiriyah, as the

largest city in the province, inherits the millennial-long tradition of urban centers in

Sumer where early cities first emerged from the fertile river plains and marshes.

The first annual Sumer conference will be held from October 29-31, 2025.

With the ongoing support of active projects, we envision this conference as an annual

event supported by SBAH, sponsoring expeditions, and other supporting entities, to

take place each fall. With its new tourist and conference center, in close proximity to

both the ancient site and the city of Nasiriyah, Ur is the natural venue for this event.

 

The objectives of the conference are:

 

• Missions working in the Dhi Qar province are invited to present results of their

excavation and survey work.

• Iraqi archaeologists, academics and employees of SBAH will offer their expertise

in the science of Sumerian archaeology and cultural heritage.

• Provide a venue for collaboration between Iraqi and International

archaeologists and scholars.

• Participants will discuss the conditions and the future of the archaeological

sites in Dhi Qar, evaluating their excavation, maintenance, restoration and

preservation.• Presentations will be in Arabic and English. Papers will be considered for

publication inside Iraq, providing access to interested scholars and the public.

• Participants will work with local and national governmental entities to bring to

the attention of the Iraqi people and the world of the challenges and promises

 

of the archaeological and cultural heritage of Sumer and Mesopotamia.