The UAB Exhibition Hall presents “Between the Tigris River and the Zagros Mountains”
From 15 April to 30 May 2026, the Exhibition Hall of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) will be hosting the exhibition Between the Tigris River and the Zagros Mountains, which presents the results of ten years of archaeological research carried out by the UAB in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Produced by the UAB Culture in Action Unit, the exhibition showcases a scientific project developed by the SAPPO-GRAMPO research group from the Department of Prehistory of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, which has conducted continuous research in the region between 2015 and 2025.
The exhibition can be visited from 15 April to 30 May 2026 at the UAB Exhibition Hall, located in the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives Building, at the Plaça Cívica. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Fridays, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. The presentation of the exhibition will take place on Friday 17 May, at 12:00 noon. Admission is free.
From Prehistory to the First Urban Societies
The exhibition offers a journey through the evolution of human societies in Upper Mesopotamia, from the last groups of hunter-gatherers to the emergence of the first agricultural and urban communities. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the project analyses more than 7,000 years of social, economic and cultural transformations in one of the key regions in the history of humankind.
The exhibition narrative is structured around two major landscapes—the Zagros Mountains and the Tigris River plain—and focuses particularly on the study of three key archaeological sites: Gali Chnar, Banahilk and Gird Lashkir, where the UAB team has been carrying out archaeological work for more than thirty years.
Research, Heritage and Outreach
Between the Tigris River and the Zagros Mountains highlights both university-based scientific research and the importance of preserving archaeological heritage, especially in geographically and politically complex contexts. The exhibition combines scientific content with visual and photographic materials that help bring the richness and complexity of this territory closer to the public, offering essential insights into the origins of contemporary society.
The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with several international and museum institutions, including Salahaddin University (Erbil, Iraq), the General Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia, among others.