Tell al-Wilayah

Tell al-Wilayah (also Tell al-Wilaya) is an archaeological site in the Wasit Governorate of eastern Iraq. The site has now been completely destroyed by large scale looting. It is located around 20 km southwest of the modern city of Kut, several kilometers east of Tell Waresh 2, and 6 kilometers southwest of Tulul al-Baqarat. It has been proposed that the tutelary deities of the site were either the god Nergal or a local god Aški, and the goddess Mamma/Mammïtum.

History
The site was occupied beginning in the Early Dynastic period extending into the Akkadian and Ur III periods. It has been suggested as the location of Kesh (Sumer), now thought to be at Tulul al-Baqarat. It has also been proposed as the site of Irisaĝrig. The lost city of Larak has also been proposed.

Archaeology
There were two mounds. The main mound Tell al-Wilayah I covered 64 hectares with a height of 5 meters. Tell al-Wilayah II, about 500 meters to the south, covered about 4.5 hectares and rose to about 5 meters above the plain.

Iraqi archaeologists led by Tariq Madhlum worked the site in 1958. Sixteen degraded whole and partial cuneiform tablets of the Old Akkadian and Ur III periods were found in robber holes, discarded by looters. Also found were two Old Akkadian clay jar sealings, an ivory figurine, terracotta plaques depicting naked females clasping their breasts, and two Ur III bricks, of Shu-Shin and Shulgi. An Early Dynastic palace was found at the extreme northwest corner (Area III) of the main mound, constructed with plano-convex bricks. In response to major looting, the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage conducted excavations in 1999, 2000, and 2002. Five Old Akadian cuneiform tablets were found. More brick inscriptions of Shu-Shin "Šu-Sîn, mighty king, king of Ur, king of the four quarters" and Shulgi "Šulgi, mighty man, king of Ur, king of the four quarters" were also found.

A number of items illegally excavated from Tell al-Wilayah have appeared on the antiquities market. This likely includes two archives of Ur III merchant texts called the Turam-ilï Archive and the SI.A Archive.