![A marsh Arab woman washes clothes in Al-Hammar marsh in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 23, 2009. Miles of reed stalks and baked mud are all that can A marsh Arab woman washes clothes in Al-Hammar marsh in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 23, 2009. Miles of reed stalks and baked mud are all that can](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2E780JY/a-marsh-arab-woman-washes-clothes-in-al-hammar-marsh-in-nassiriya-300-km-185-miles-southeast-of-baghdad-january-23-2009-miles-of-reed-stalks-and-baked-mud-are-all-that-can-be-seen-of-much-of-iraqs-ancient-marshes-this-year-as-a-lack-of-water-threatens-to-turn-one-of-the-worldss-most-important-wetlands-to-wasteland-picture-taken-january-23-2009-to-match-feature-iraqmarsh-water-reutersmohammed-ameen-iraq-2E780JY.jpg)
A marsh Arab woman washes clothes in Al-Hammar marsh in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 23, 2009. Miles of reed stalks and baked mud are all that can
![Archaeologists Investigate Iraqi Marshes for Origins of Mesopotamian Cities | NSF - National Science Foundation Archaeologists Investigate Iraqi Marshes for Origins of Mesopotamian Cities | NSF - National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/media/images/iraq_marsh1_f.jpg)
Archaeologists Investigate Iraqi Marshes for Origins of Mesopotamian Cities | NSF - National Science Foundation
![Herd of buffaloes crowd near the water of Al-Hammar marsh in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 23, 2009. Miles of reed stalks and baked mud are all that Herd of buffaloes crowd near the water of Al-Hammar marsh in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 23, 2009. Miles of reed stalks and baked mud are all that](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2D2X2GG/herd-of-buffaloes-crowd-near-the-water-of-al-hammar-marsh-in-nassiriya-300-km-185-miles-southeast-of-baghdad-january-23-2009-miles-of-reed-stalks-and-baked-mud-are-all-that-can-be-seen-of-much-of-iraqs-ancient-marshes-this-year-as-a-lack-of-water-threatens-to-turn-one-of-the-worldss-most-important-wetlands-to-wasteland-picture-taken-january-23-2009-to-match-feature-iraqmarsh-water-reutersmohammed-ameen-iraq-2D2X2GG.jpg)
Herd of buffaloes crowd near the water of Al-Hammar marsh in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad January 23, 2009. Miles of reed stalks and baked mud are all that
![a: Inset. The entire area lay under Lake Hammar as late as 1968. Black... | Download Scientific Diagram a: Inset. The entire area lay under Lake Hammar as late as 1968. Black... | Download Scientific Diagram](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257139694/figure/fig4/AS:573161234485248@1513663695119/a-Inset-The-entire-area-lay-under-Lake-Hammar-as-late-as-1968-Black-is-deep-water.png)