If I recall correctly, these were built during Saddam's era to ensure water for his people. Iraq doesn't have many, if any, water sources that aren't controlled

If I recall correctly, these were built during Saddam's era to ensure water for his people. Iraq doesn't have many, if any, water sources that aren't controlled by other countries so they were in a rush to build these to ensure a national water supply. They didn't have the luxury to do archeology.