Epic of Gilgamesh
The "Epic of Gilgamesh" was discovered by Austen Henry Layard, Hormuzd Rassam, and W. K. Loftus in 1853. The central character of Gilgamesh was initially reintroduced to the world as ""Izdubar"", before the cuneiform logographs in his name could be pronounced accurately. The first modern translation was published in the early 1870s by George Smith. Smith then made further discoveries of texts on his later expeditions, which culminated in his final translation which is given in his book "The Chaldaean Account of Genesis" (1880).
Aga of Kish
Aga is mentioned in the "Epic of Gilgamesh" as having besieged Uruk. He appears also in the earlier Sumerian text of "Bilgames and Akka", where he is referred to as Akka.
The Gilgamesh epic, the Sumerian king list, and the "Tummal Chronicle" all call him the son of En-me-barage-si, a king who has been verified through archaeological inscription, leading to theories that Gilgamesh was also historical.