The reports given below cover excavation work in Iraq for the year from June 1971 to May 1972; not included are sites where the work was largely or entirely restricted to restoration, such as Samarra, Aqar Quf, and Baghdad. The information on each site has been provided by the director of the excavations, unless otherwise specified, and the final version has been checked by him whenever possible. The sites are arranged in alphabetical order, and in some cases reference is made to their entry in Archaeological Sites in Iraq (published by the Directorate-General of Antiquities, Baghdad, 1970; abbreviated ASI).

The material for this report was assembled by Mr. J. N. Postgate, Assistant Director of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq. The Editors are glad to acknowledge his efforts, and wish to express their gratitude to all those colleagues who have so willingly contributed information on their work, and especially to Dr. Isa Salman, the Director-General of Antiquities in Iraq, for his generous co-operation which alone has made the compilation possible.