DOI Artikel:
Reiche, Andrzej: Polish Archaeological Research in north-eastern Syria
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18950#0106
administrative and probably sacral ąuarter located on a slight elevation. A large
structure provisionally named as the “Public Building” was partly uncovered
there. Its later phase, strongly damaged by the occupation activity from the end
of the third millennium B.C. and deep pits from the Khabur ware period, was
aligned with the plan of the older phase whose walls were preserved up to
2 m of height. In one, fully unearthed room a doorway with a brick arch and
triangular window in the upper part of the wali have been preserved. Two pairs
of vaulted corbels projecting from the longer walls supported the ceiling of the
room. Most of the building is still covered under roughly 5 m of later
deposits. Considerable stretches of dwelling ąuarters from the first half of third
millennium B.C. were unearthed on the east and north-west areas of the main
tell as well as on the middle satellite tell (sector A) which also yielded remains
of pottery kilns. The pottery uncovered is characteristic for the Early Jazirah
Illb period in this region, containing numerous Ninivite V sherds and vessels
decorated with characteristic incised and excised geometrie patterns. Among
the later phase of Early Jazirah Illb pottery finds, there are also many “metallic
ware” vessels - including large jars. Of special interest are pottery fragments,
mostly shoulders of jars, with a band of repeated figural scenes impressed with
the use of a cylinder seal.
The finds contain terracotta animal figures (mainly sheep), which most
probably served as children's toys although votive use at least for some is also
a viable possibility. A collection of clay sealings of doors, jars or other containers
with seal impressions on them dated to the Early Jazirah III period, provides
elear eyidence of the existence of pałace or tempie household management.
Settlement from the first half of the second millennium B.C. with its
characteristic painted Khabur ware, was of a morę limited rangę and was
located on the top of the tell and scattered on its eastern and western plains.
Fragments of dwelling ąuarters and numerous Khabur ware period graves
were uncovered. The one-chamber graves built of mud bricks were roofed
with a row of diagonally placed bricks running through the middle. Each
grave had been furnished with a set of yessels.
A highly interesting find from that period was a set of hand-made unbaked
clay toys found on a bench in a deserted room. These were mostly models of
furniture - little tables, stools, and beds but also pots with lids, a toy broom
or fan and a doli, which the field Staff playfully named “Khabur Barbie”.
The middle satellite tell (sector A) as well as, for some time, the top part
of the main tell were occupied in the Mittanni period. The latter after
abandonment was transformed into a grayeyard. Despite considerable damage
to the architectural remnants of the Mitannian settlement in sector A caused
by numerous Elellenistic storage pits, a smali rectangular bathroom paved
with baked bricks2 had been preseryed in one of the houses and a heating
stove in another. In the pottery assemblage of this period fragments of painted
Nuzi ware were numerous. 27
27 So far such bathrooms have been unearthed only in Nuzi (Yorgan Tepe) in Iraq.
104
structure provisionally named as the “Public Building” was partly uncovered
there. Its later phase, strongly damaged by the occupation activity from the end
of the third millennium B.C. and deep pits from the Khabur ware period, was
aligned with the plan of the older phase whose walls were preserved up to
2 m of height. In one, fully unearthed room a doorway with a brick arch and
triangular window in the upper part of the wali have been preserved. Two pairs
of vaulted corbels projecting from the longer walls supported the ceiling of the
room. Most of the building is still covered under roughly 5 m of later
deposits. Considerable stretches of dwelling ąuarters from the first half of third
millennium B.C. were unearthed on the east and north-west areas of the main
tell as well as on the middle satellite tell (sector A) which also yielded remains
of pottery kilns. The pottery uncovered is characteristic for the Early Jazirah
Illb period in this region, containing numerous Ninivite V sherds and vessels
decorated with characteristic incised and excised geometrie patterns. Among
the later phase of Early Jazirah Illb pottery finds, there are also many “metallic
ware” vessels - including large jars. Of special interest are pottery fragments,
mostly shoulders of jars, with a band of repeated figural scenes impressed with
the use of a cylinder seal.
The finds contain terracotta animal figures (mainly sheep), which most
probably served as children's toys although votive use at least for some is also
a viable possibility. A collection of clay sealings of doors, jars or other containers
with seal impressions on them dated to the Early Jazirah III period, provides
elear eyidence of the existence of pałace or tempie household management.
Settlement from the first half of the second millennium B.C. with its
characteristic painted Khabur ware, was of a morę limited rangę and was
located on the top of the tell and scattered on its eastern and western plains.
Fragments of dwelling ąuarters and numerous Khabur ware period graves
were uncovered. The one-chamber graves built of mud bricks were roofed
with a row of diagonally placed bricks running through the middle. Each
grave had been furnished with a set of yessels.
A highly interesting find from that period was a set of hand-made unbaked
clay toys found on a bench in a deserted room. These were mostly models of
furniture - little tables, stools, and beds but also pots with lids, a toy broom
or fan and a doli, which the field Staff playfully named “Khabur Barbie”.
The middle satellite tell (sector A) as well as, for some time, the top part
of the main tell were occupied in the Mittanni period. The latter after
abandonment was transformed into a grayeyard. Despite considerable damage
to the architectural remnants of the Mitannian settlement in sector A caused
by numerous Elellenistic storage pits, a smali rectangular bathroom paved
with baked bricks2 had been preseryed in one of the houses and a heating
stove in another. In the pottery assemblage of this period fragments of painted
Nuzi ware were numerous. 27
27 So far such bathrooms have been unearthed only in Nuzi (Yorgan Tepe) in Iraq.
104