Is 6000- year-old carving of Lord Rama and Hanuman found in Silemania, Iraq?

The 22nd-century BCE carvings are of a ruler named Tardunni and defeated soldier. There is no archaeological evidence to prove that these carvings depict Lord Rama and Hanuman.

Several social media users are circulating an image of a rock carving claiming it to be “6,000 year old Bhagwan Rama and Hanuman carvings in Silemania, Iraq”.

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The same post is also being shared on twitter with the caption “You go everywhere you will find Hinduism. Hinduism is the truth, they are eternal. This stone carving is from Silemania, Iraq. Jai Shree Ram. Jai Hanuman”.

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Fact Check- 

We started our investigation by running a reverse image search on Google, whose results led us to a report published on 29 May, 2019 in the World History Encyclopaedia. We found the same image there with a caption “Rock-Relief of Tar…dunni, Darband-i Belula”.

According to the description “This rock-relief depicts a triumphant warrior. Before him, two captives (probably Hurrians) can be seen. The Akkadian cuneiform inscription on the right side mentions the name of the warrior as “Tar…dunni”, son of  Ikki. The names of the gods, Shamash and Adad, were mentioned also. “Tar…dunni” might have been a local king, prince, ruler, or a high-ranking official, probably Lullubian. The exact dates of these individuals and their lives are unknown. Darband-i Belula (Belula Pass), Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan. Akkadian period, 2350-2006 BCE”.

The article was written by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin, an associate professor of neurology and historian.

An article written by the same author on etc.worldhistory.org website mentioned that the rock-relief of Darband-i-Belula lies on the cliff side of Mount Darband-i-Belula in the Horen Shekhan area, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan, near the Iraq-Iran border. . Based on the Akkadian inscriptions this rock relief depicts the armed ruler/king Tardunni(Lisir Pirini), son of Ikki(Ikkid Samad), who lived in this region some 4000 years ago. 

He also posted a video on the carvings on his YouTube channel in May 2019 with the title ‘Darband-i Belula Rock-Relief of “Tar…dunni”, Iraqi Kurdistan’.

Times of India published an article in June 2019 mentioning that India’s ‘Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan’ believes the carving of the King is Lord Rama and one of the defeated enemies is Hanuman. The delegation from India, along with officials from Iraq, went on an expedition to view the mural. Archaeologists and historians in Iraq, however, have not linked it to Lord Ram.

Iraqi scholars say the mural depicts Tardunni, the head of a mountain tribe. Similar etchings elsewhere in Iraq show kings and kneeling supplicants believed to be prisoners. 

Conclusion- 

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral image to be Misleading. There is no archaeological evidence to prove that these carvings depict Lord Rama and Hanuman. The 22nd-century BCE carvings are of a ruler named Tardunni and his soldier.