Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (10.1998(1999))

TELL ARBID

SYRIA

a large courtyard paved with sherds and
pebbles was found on the western side of
its exposed wall, as well as two fireplaces.
This layer (stratum I for this trench)
can be dated to Mitannian times on the
grounds of the pottery found here. Apart
from frequent examples of typical
Mitannian footed goblets, there were also
fragments of painted Nuzi-style goblets,
some of them with fine floral decoration.
In the filling of one of the pits cutting
through this layer, a 3rd mill. BC faience
cylinder seal decorated with a linear orna-
ment was found.
The next layer (stratum II) was of
Khabour ware period date. Remains of
a dwelling were accompanied by fragments
of two interesting installations. The first of
the latter was a pottery kiln found near the
northern confines of trench 37/54. The fir-
ing chamber, about 2.1 m long and over
1.8 m wide, had a finely made floor about
18 cm thick, composed of small fragments
of limestone covered with a thick layer of
smoothed clay. The outer wall of the cham-
ber was constructed of a single row of mud-
bricks and had a nearly oval outline. It
seems possible that it was in fact a kiln
with two firing chambers, of which only
the southern one has been exposed, while
the second one should be expected beyond
the northern limits of the trench, assuming
of course that it has not been eroded away
as yet. The second of the two installations is
increasingly more difficult to interpret. It
was situated immediately to the east of the
pottery kiln and it occupied the whole
northeastern corner of the trench; parts of it
still remain outside the limits of the trench.
Designated as Locus 5, the basin was at
least 2.6 m long and 2.0 m wide. The two
parts of the basin (the eastern part is larger)
communicated by a narrow passage about
0.9 m wide. The bottom of the basin slopes
slightly to the northwest, toward a small

oval pit not exceeding 0.7 m in diameter. It
seems that all the liquids which could have
been poured into this basin would have
flowed to this pit. The structure was sur-
rounded by a narrow pise wall and was
most probably erected in the open as a sep-
arate structure. The function of the basin
remains unclear and requires further study.
It is noteworthy that these two "industrial"
installations were erected so close together,
suggesting that in the Khabour ware peri-
od some intense economic activity had
taken place in this part of the site. Both
installations were built on a narrow street
or rather lane, running E-W and paved
with potsherds and gravel. On the other
(southern) side of this street there was
a house of which only the northern, exteri-
or wall was unearthed within the limits of
the trench. The surviving section of mud-
brick wall is over 4 m long and 0.6 m high,
and in the middle of its length there is an
entrance about 0.7 m wide with a threshold
made of bricks. The rest of this building
extending to the south will be excavated in
the coming season.
From this stratum came abundant
ceramic material representing Khabour
ware and a clay sealing, partly preserved,
depicting a human figure (worshiper)
turned towards a deity.
Immediately under stratum II, in the
southeastern corner of trench 37/54, the
tops of walls representing the next (III)
occupational layer appeared. All that can
be said for the moment is that this stratum
also represents occupation of the Khabour
ware period.
In view of the richness and complexity
of the 2nd mill. BC deposits on the top of
the tell, the Early Dynastic period layers
could not be reached here this year.
Interesting relics of 2nd mill. BC
human occupation on Arbid were also
unearthed in trench 36/59-60, which is

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