Qalatga Darband, Iraqi Kurdistan, 2017
The site was originally detected when experts watched declassified spy footage that was made public in 1996, but the area’s political volatility meant nothing could be done at first.
Recently though, a team of Iraqi and British archaeologists, led by specialists from the British Museum, have been excavating the area. So far, they’ve uncovered terracotta roof tiles and Greek and Roman statues, including one that depicts Aphrodite.