Umm Dabaghiyah 1974: A Fourth Preliminary Report

Extract

The start of the fourth and final season at Umm Dabaghiyah was seriously delayed by yet another variation in the Iraq weather pattern. In this case torrential and long-lasting late spring rains not only caused wide-spread flooding throughout the country, but also brought down the bridges across Wadi Tharthar, a phenomenon that meant we could not reach the site, or even Hatra, until both rains and floods subsided and a temporary sandbag bridge had been erected. Two attempts were made to reach the site during late March and early April; both were abortive. During the second attempt preparations for making a temporary bridge were in hand, so over a month late ours were the first vehicles across the new bridge. Once the camp was established the weather relented and we were able to work almost without interruption. The delay did mean that we had to work in ever-increasing heat. Let it suffice to say that the June shade temperatures, taken under a tent flap as no shade is available at the site, kept steadily in the upper 40°s C with a maximum of 49°C (c. 126°F). It may be worth recording while memory is fresh that during this hot period the flies, of which we had over-many, simply lay still on the tent floors apparently incapable of flying.