Archaeologists uncover remains of 5,000-year old restaurant in Iraq

What is considered a world’s oldest bridge, some 4,000 years-old, is seen by the ancient city-state of Lagash, near Nasiriyah, Iraq (Nabil al-Jourani/AP/PA)

An international archaeological mission has uncovered the remnants of what is believed to be a 5,000-year-old restaurant or tavern in the ancient city of Lagash in southern Iraq.

The discovery of the ancient dining hall — complete with a rudimentary refrigeration system, hundreds of roughly made clay bowls and the fossilised remains of an overcooked fish — was announced in late January by a University of Pennsylvania-led team.