Building Iraq runways yields ancient artifacts

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Second Lt. Brian Wernle looks over artifacts Dec. 26 found during construction at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq. In the past month, artifacts have been found by civil engineering airmen at four different sites.


Building Iraq runways yields ancient artifacts
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 4, 2008 5:21:45 EST

Tech. Sgt. Kelly Wayment, a heavy equipment operator with the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, was grading a taxiway at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, in late November when he noticed what he thought was an odd-looking rock.

But when Wayment took a closer look, he realized the object was actually a piece of clay pottery. And scattered around the job site were several more — one as large as a dinner plate.

“I thought that the Iraqis who had this base prior to us being here maybe had plants in pots.” Wayment said. “I guess I also thought in the back of my mind that it might be something more than just that.”

It turns out it was something more. Some of the pottery fragments are more than 2,000 years old.

A series of recent discoveries on the base have turned up numerous pottery fragments — enough to stop construction work.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/airforce_kirkuk_archaeology_080203/