28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1.5 Million-Year-Old Hand Axes and Seven Paleolithic Sites Discovered in Iraq’s Western Desert

Archaeologists from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) uncovered hand axes dating back 1.5 million years and discovered seven Paleolithic sites in an area of 10 by 20 km in Iraq’s Western Desert.

Ella Egberts, a researcher from VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), traveled to Iraq in November and December as part of a pilot project aimed at searching for archaeological surface materials in the Al-Shabakah area. 

These materials are intended to provide insights into the Iraqi Western Desert’s geomorphological history and explore the potential for preserving archaeological sites with Old and Middle Paleolithic artifacts. Egberts confirmed that the campaign was a great success

“The targeted fieldwork resulted in the discovery of seven Paleolithic sites in an area of 10 by 20 km,” Egberts stated. “One location was selected for a systematic study to determine the spatial distribution of the Paleolithic material and to conduct preliminary technological and typological analyses.”

The prospecting campaign focused on an area that housed a large lake during the Pleistocene, which is now completely dried up, with ancient wadis or dry riverbeds crossing the landscape. Egberts collected over 850 artifacts, ranging from very old hand axes from the Early or Old Paleolithic to Levallois reduction flakes from the Middle Paleolithic, all surface materials. 

“The other sites also deserve equally thorough systematic investigation, which will undoubtedly yield similar quantities of lithic material,” she added.

One of the scientific research discovered hand tools, with many stone tools and production residues visible on the surface in the background, Iraqi desert. Credit: University of Brussels
One of the scientific research discovered hand tools, with many stone tools and production residues visible on the surface in the background, Iraqi desert. Credit: University of Brussels

Egberts highlighted that the distribution of the sites, along with the advancing understanding of the region’s geomorphological history, reveals emerging clues about early human landscape use. She expressed her intention to expand her research to a larger area in the future, systematically sampling all the sites and conducting in-depth technological and typological artifact analysis. The new insights gained from Iraq are expected to be integrated into the broader understanding of human evolution and behavior on the Arabian Peninsula.

Egberts’ work in Iraq also includes an educational component. An essential part of the fieldwork involved training Iraqi archaeology students in geo-archaeology and Paleolithic archaeology. Three students accompanied the team in the field, and a workshop held at Al-Qadisiyah University after the fieldwork inspired many more students and academics about the Paleolithic period in Iraq. 

At a conference in Karbala, the team shared their findings with a multidisciplinary academic audience interested in the history of the Western Desert. Additionally, they presented their results to the general public and the press at the Writers’ Union in Najaf. The team also had the opportunity to teach local elementary school children about prehistoric flint discoveries.

Egberts stated that her work in Iraq, a country often viewed as a “powder keg,” has proceeded much more smoothly than expected. She noted that, despite the presence of numerous checkpoints, the team was able to conduct their research without significant issues.

“The Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage appreciates our work and encourages us to continue,” Egberts said. She will now continue her research at VUB. “The next step will be to secure funding, with which I hope to reconstruct Pleistocene environmental changes and early human presence and behavior in the Western Desert.”

Her mission was funded by the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, a grant she qualified for due to her honorary fellowship at the University of Leicester in the UK. This collaborative effort not only illuminates the rich archaeological history of Iraq but also strengthens international partnerships that enhance the understanding of human evolution and cultural heritage in the region.

Free University of Brussels (VUB)

Cover Image Credit: Free University of Brussels (VUB)

Related Articles

A unique golden sun bowl was discovered during an archaeological survey in Ebreichsdorf, Austria

3 October 2021

3 October 2021

A golden sun bowl and several hundred bronze objects were discovered during archaeological excavations in a prehistoric settlement in today’s...

“Land of the Thousand Temples” Kancheepuram in India

20 May 2021

20 May 2021

Kancheepuram, one of the most sacred and religious Hindu pilgrim centers in India is also called the ‘Land of the...

Getting to Know Matar Kubilea

8 February 2021

8 February 2021

Hittite state’s, With its collapse in 1200-1190 BC, Anatolia entered a period of drift from holistic to dispersal. (The Hittite...

Iraqis Disliked El Nouri Mosque’s Restoration Plan

18 April 2021

18 April 2021

UNESCO recently announced that the El Nouri mosque, which was bombed by ISIL(The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant),...

Treasure hunters revealed a 2,700-year-old Urartian temple In the east of Turkey

18 June 2022

18 June 2022

Treasure hunters revealed a 2,700-year-old Urartian temple A group of treasure hunters, who were digging illegally to find treasure in...

Ukrainian Stonehenge

6 July 2021

6 July 2021

It has almost become a tradition to compare the structures surrounded by stones to the Stonehenge monument. This ancient cemetery,...

9,300-year-old Gre Filla Mound in southeastern Turkey to be relocated

20 September 2022

20 September 2022

While public criticism continues due to the fact that Gre Filla, known as Diyarbakır’s Göbeklitepe, is under the dam, Diyarbakır...

Roman-era structures unearthed in northwestern Turkiye dam site rescue excavations

18 May 2024

18 May 2024

Rescue excavations at the Reşitköy Dam site in the northwestern Turkiye province of Balıkesir have unearthed Roman structures, including a...

A Mysterious Deity’s Ancient Gold Gift was Discovered at Georgia’s Gonio-Apsaros Roman Fort

25 October 2024

25 October 2024

During excavations at the Roman fortress of Apsaros in Georgia, archaeologists discovered a unique gold votive plaque presented to Jupiter...

Mystery of the 1,700-year-old Mosaic Solved: The Medallion in the Mosaic uncovered to be the Symbol of a Roman Military Unit

10 August 2024

10 August 2024

The mystery of the 1,700-year-old mosaic, which was found during excavations in Amasya province in northern Turkey 11 years ago...

Europe’s Oldest Plough Marks Discovered in Switzerland and Testifying the Use of Animals in Agriculture 7000 Years Ago

8 March 2024

8 March 2024

Excavations at the Anciens Arsenaux site in Sion, Switzerland, researchers revealed evidence that Neolithic farmers used animal traction to pull...

Hidden Inscriptions Discovered on Paris’ Luxor Obelisk

1 May 2025

1 May 2025

Nearly two centuries after its prominent placement in Paris’ Place de la Concorde, the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk continues to yield...

New Study reveals how England’s ‘White Queen’ worshipped a disembowelled saint at the Chapel of St Erasmus

5 December 2022

5 December 2022

A new study reveals the story of how England’s “White Queen”, Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, once worshipped at...

2,300 Years Old First Complete Ancient Celtic Village and Roman Settlement Discovered in Munich

22 October 2023

22 October 2023

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Celtic village and evidence of a smaller Roman settlement in Munich, Germany. The 2,300-year-old Celtic...

A burial complex and an Ancient Dog Statue have been unearthed during excavations in Appio Latino quarter the Rome

8 January 2022

8 January 2022

Workers laying pipes for utility company Acea at Via Luigi Tosti in Rome’s Appio Latino quarter have unearthed an ancient...