Sheran Hill is one of those sites that people settled in during the formation of the state with an ancient history that goes back to 5000 BC. This ancient hill is 7 kilometers away from the northeast of Malati city in the northern part of Kurdistan and it is 15 km away from the Euphrates River. It is as high as 30 km and its length reaches 200 meters and its width is 120 meters. According to the archeologists' research, its history goes back to 5000 BC, and it was inhabited by people until 5 or 6 centuries AD. It has been used as a graveyard since the 6th century AD and still remains.
The researches on Sheran Hill began by a French team led by Louis Delaporte in 1930. Archeological excavations in the area were meant to intensify their research on the post-Hitti period and determine which city-state was established in this area after the Hitti. In the 1930s researches, two lion statues and a human statue were found and taken to Ankara Museum. Some primer research on this spot was conducted in 1961 by a team from Roma Le Sapienza University. Until 1970, the investigations were conducted under Alba Palmieri leadership. The investigations in this historical area are still being conducted sometimes.
Sheran Hill in northern Mesopotamia has revealed a great deal of information. According to the studies, a temple has been found that belongs to 3600 BC. This is also the period of Sumer and Ur. This means that as they say the beginning of the state began in Sumerian and the Uruks of northern Mesopotamia is clear that the state began in this place through temples and apparently there was a state institution in that place. For the first time, the cities were organized in an orderly manner and according to the rank of state and authority in the northern parts of the Euphrates near Malati city in Sheran Hill.
In 2014, UNESCO temporarily placed Sheran Hill on the global heritage list and after the 44th meeting held online on July 26, 2021, in China, it was decided to register this Hill as the oldest city-state in northern Mesopotamia and Anadolu.
Sheran Hill witnessed many civilizations from the Calolithic to the Iron Age and from the Hittites to the Romans and the Byzantines which makes it remain in the UNESCO heritage list permanently. Now, with the cooperation of the University of Arkeolojiya Roma in Italy and the administration of the Museum of the City of Malati, the research begins every year in the summer and continues until the autumn and it serves as an open museum. In 2019, many artifacts were found as a result of these excavations. The Italian archeological team has discovered several pieces of ceramics as well as a number of other artifacts including cups, arrowheads, tools made from bones, flint, musical instruments, and the bones of a 5700-year-old child.
Trademark Seal
As a result of archeological excavations, many seals have been found that were used on this site for commercial purposes before the writing period. This is a sign that there has been a strong political and ranking organization in this region.
It is curious that most of the seals had been broken by the people of that period of time. The comments on this point are as follows: "They say these seals had been broken so that they would not be used any longer." In other words, these seals were paid in exchange for goods and property and after the debts were paid, they would break them as a sign of the debts being paid off. Underneath the hill, a large palace has been discovered that was built 3300 years ago. According to the information and architecture of the palace, it was an administrative site. Other monuments have been found around this palace too. Clearly, it is not a normal place. Nine metal swords were found here. This proves that those people had established a state system at that time. According to all the studies conducted in northern Mesopotamia, the oldest part of the state system was found here.
