NEARLY 500 artefacts from ancient Babylon have been uncovered by archaeologists, with some in pristine condition despite being over 3,000 years old.
The inventory of items, which include pottery, ancient seals and cuneiform tablets, offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of one of the world's earliest civilisations.
Cuneiform is one of the oldest known forms of writing, and was used for more than 3,000 years, up until the 1st century AD when it vanished.
Experts believe it disappeared mostly because it did not have an alphabet, and instead relied on a syllabic system that required the knowledge of many symbols in order to write.
The excavation site has been divided into two sectors, named A and B.
Sector A covers an area of approximately 6,000 square meters and features two distinct archaeological layers.
"The first layer dates back to the Sassanian period, which was removed as a result of excavation and natural factors," Iraq's General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage wrote in a Facebook post.
"As for the second layer, it dates back to the ancient Babylonian era."
The Sasanian Empire of the 3 through 7 centuries was a Persian ruling elite that covered Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Egypt and parts of Syria.
The second layer, that the heritage organisation speaks of, hosts some of the best-preserved parts of the site which have not been so tarnished by erosion and human activity.
In Sector B, which covered a larger area of 9,000 square meters, researchers found a snapshot of urban life in the Old Babylonian period, which spanned roughly from 1894 to 1595 BC.
Two residential units were discovered in the dig, led by archaeologist Quhtan Abbas Hassan Aboud.
"478 artifacts were also found, including pottery jars, cuneiform texts, and cylindrical seals," the organisation wrote.
"Work is still ongoing to complete the scientific excavation work according to the specified period."
The texts, inscribed on clay tablets, often functioned as early legal documents.
Some were even encased in a clay outer shell, which experts believe could have been the original envelope.
Cylindrical seals were used to roll impressions into clay, and served as a form of signature, or product branding.