On the sunbaked plains of Kurdistan, about 20 kilometers south of the capital Erbil, lies the ancient village of Surezha. At first glance, it may seem like any other quiet spot in the countryside, but beneath the surface, it holds the secrets of a life long forgotten. For more than a decade, Gil Stein, an archaeology professor from the University of Chicago, has been working at Surezha, uncovering the remains of a village that dates back 6,500 years, giving us a rare look at one of the earliest human settlements known to exist.

Stein’s work began in 2013 when he and his team started excavating the site. Unlike many other digs, where ancient settlements are buried deep beneath layers of earth, Surezha’s ancient past is just below the surface. “We are very lucky here at Surezha,” says Stein, who is also director of the Chicago Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation. “The early periods we’re interested in are just centimeters down, which allows us to study them in great detail.”

This unique situation has allowed the team to study a prehistoric era known as the Ubaid period, a time when small farming villages in Mesopotamia like Surezha were just beginning to grow into more complex societies.

What makes Surezha particularly special is that it was abandoned around 3400 BC, leaving much of its history undisturbed. “It’s a rare opportunity,” Stein explains, “to look back at life without the challenges of digging through the deep layers that are common in other parts of Mesopotamia.” This has allowed the team to gather valuable information about how the people of Surezha lived, worked, and interacted with the world around them.

Regional economies and social structures

One of the key discoveries from Surezha is how it was connected to larger urban centers like Arbela, now known as Erbil. Even 6,500 years ago, Arbela was a growing town, and Surezha, though smaller, played an important role in supporting it. “We believe that Surezha was part of a rural system controlled by Arbela,” says Stein. “By 4500 BC, Arbela was probably a town of significant size, while Surezha, with maybe 1,000 or 2,000 people, helped supply the larger town with food.”

The land around Erbil has always been rich and fertile, perfect for farming, which made it a key agricultural production area. The people of Surezha grew crops like wheat, barley, and figs, much like the crops still grown in the region today. They also raised sheep and goats, which provided wool, milk, and meat. “Their diet was pretty similar to what people eat today,” Stein describes. “They grew barley, made beer, and may have even made yogurt. In fact, we found a ceramic strainer used for separating yogurt, which was a pretty exciting find.”

But Surezha was not just a farming village. It was also part of a broader trade network, linking it to regions far beyond its borders. The team found pottery and obsidian (a form of volcanic glass) that suggest trade with places as far away as western Iran and eastern Turkey. The obsidian found at Surezha, for example, came from volcanic sites around Lake Van in Turkey. “This shows us that materials were being traded over long distances,” says Stein. “Even in this small village, we find evidence of connections to a much larger world.”

One of the most interesting aspects of Surezha is what it reveals about the social structure of the time. Though the village was small, its society was not equal. The team discovered intricately carved seals used to mark ownership and track goods, some of which featured detailed designs of animals like deer, which Stein says were symbols of wealth and status. “These elites controlled local resources and were part of a larger trade network,” explains Stein. “We can see that there were already classes separating the powerful and the common people.”

This growing social inequality was a sign of the times. The wealthier members of society could pass their status and influence down to their children, creating a hereditary elite. “Society was starting to form into classes,” Stein says. “We’re seeing the beginnings of what would later become the structured, urbanized societies of Mesopotamia.”

The mosaic of Mesopotamian civilization

Religion also played a significant role in Surezha’s daily life. The team found what they believe to be a shrine or temple within the village, with an altar made of mud bricks and plaster. Nearby, they found evidence of religious offerings, including a large stone bowl. “We think this room was used for rituals,” Stein explains. “But because there’s no written record from this time, we can only guess what kind of rituals they performed.”

One of the most touching discoveries was the practice of burying infants within the home. “We found a house where babies were buried in jars and placed near the doorway,” says Stein. “It’s heartbreaking to think about, but it shows how families kept their lost children close, even after death.” Adults, on the other hand, were typically buried in community cemeteries, showing the different customs for the young and the old.

Stein’s discoveries also shed light on the broader significance of Erbil during this period. “Erbil’s importance stretches back thousands of years,” he says. “From the Akkadian and Assyrian Empires to the Persian Empire, it has always been a center of power and trade.”

As Stein’s team continues their work at Surezha, they hope to learn even more about how this small village fit into the broader picture of early Mesopotamian civilization. “There is still so much more to uncover about how these early societies functioned, traded, and worshipped,” says Stein.

The discoveries at Surezha offer a rare glimpse into a world long gone, but still deeply connected to the present. Through their farming, trade, religious rituals, and social structures, the people of Surezha helped shape the early stages of human civilization in one of the world’s most historically rich regions. As Professor Stein puts it, “The people of Surezha may have lived in a small village, but they were part of a much larger and interconnected world – one that was already showing the early signs of the urbanized societies that would come to dominate Mesopotamia.”

Qassim Khidhir has 15 years of experience in journalism and media development in Iraq. He has contributed to both local and international media outlets.