DOI issue:
Syria
DOI article:Mazurowski, Ryszard Feliks; Jamous, Bassam: Tell Qaramel: excavations 2000
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41368#0332
TELL QARAMEL
SYRIA
The structure appears to extend deeper
toward the north. While the level of the
foundations has not been reached as yet, a
foundation trench has been observed,
going down from half the height of the
north wall. Obviously, Tomb 1 must have
been dug partly into earlier layers
accumulated north of it.
It is obvious by now that the west wall
was structurally different from the north
and south ones. It was built straight up,
while the latter two had a step-like
construction with successive layers of stone
closing in toward the top. For this reason
Tomb 1 slopes downwards toward the
north and south.
The entrance, located in the north
wall, was closed with a large limestone
slab (H. 170 cm; W. 120 cm; Th. 20 cm)
leaning against the huge blocks of the
jambs. The gaps between the closing slab
and the jambs were packed with smaller
stones.
The investigations confirmed the
presence of a robbers' pit sunk through the
roof of the tomb.
OTHER RESULTS OF EXCAVATIONS IN E-I6
At least three different occupational levels
could be distinguished in the explored part
of the trench. Considering the similarity of
the pottery, most likely all of them belong
to the same period or represent phases that
are very close in time. The youngest was
deposited just below a very thick topsoil
layer (very stony earth containing plastic
garbage — same as in E-15 last season). It is
formed of brick debris mixed with nests
entirely filled with carbonized grain
(sampled for examination). Below it is
a hard gray compact layer (post-erosion
deposit) that seals Tomb 1 and all the
structures underneath.
The next occupational level (Fig. 2) is
represented by three different walls, all
consisting of a single course of stones. Two
of them (W 3, W 4), oriented NE-SW, are
parallel to each other. Considering the
character of the fill and the numerous
artifacts in the space between them, the
passage should be treated as a narrow back
street (c. 1 m wide). In addition, W 3 and
W 2 (oriented N-S) enclose a rectangular
area (locus 2), although they do not, in
fact, form a corner. There is a kind of very
narrow passage between them suggesting
an entrance, but no evident walking level
was identified. W 2 itself turns a corner at
right angles to the west, thus enclosing
a space to the north and west of it that has
been designated as locus 1. The assemblage
here included a rich set of pottery vessels
and basalt tools. Taking into account the
character of the fill (eroded bricks with
evidence of ashes mixed with numerous
pea-like carbonized seeds, and a significant
assemblage of bones and shells), it is
reasonable to consider locus 1 as the ruins
of a kitchen. Besides, a bone sheath with
incised decoration, a metal grinder, and
a spindle whorl were discovered in the
kitchen. A white compact clay floor was
unearthed only in the southern part of the
kitchen, presumably close to its entrance
where a door socket was also revealed. The
stone walls may constitute the sub-
structure of mudbrick walls erected on top
of them. Indeed, a mudbrick wall, W 1,
partly collapsed into the kitchen space, was
located above W 2.
The oldest occupational level, only
fragmentarily identified so far, is repre-
sented by two rounded mudbrick
structures and Tomb 1 itself.
The pottery assemblage from this trench
is completely different from the material
330
SYRIA
The structure appears to extend deeper
toward the north. While the level of the
foundations has not been reached as yet, a
foundation trench has been observed,
going down from half the height of the
north wall. Obviously, Tomb 1 must have
been dug partly into earlier layers
accumulated north of it.
It is obvious by now that the west wall
was structurally different from the north
and south ones. It was built straight up,
while the latter two had a step-like
construction with successive layers of stone
closing in toward the top. For this reason
Tomb 1 slopes downwards toward the
north and south.
The entrance, located in the north
wall, was closed with a large limestone
slab (H. 170 cm; W. 120 cm; Th. 20 cm)
leaning against the huge blocks of the
jambs. The gaps between the closing slab
and the jambs were packed with smaller
stones.
The investigations confirmed the
presence of a robbers' pit sunk through the
roof of the tomb.
OTHER RESULTS OF EXCAVATIONS IN E-I6
At least three different occupational levels
could be distinguished in the explored part
of the trench. Considering the similarity of
the pottery, most likely all of them belong
to the same period or represent phases that
are very close in time. The youngest was
deposited just below a very thick topsoil
layer (very stony earth containing plastic
garbage — same as in E-15 last season). It is
formed of brick debris mixed with nests
entirely filled with carbonized grain
(sampled for examination). Below it is
a hard gray compact layer (post-erosion
deposit) that seals Tomb 1 and all the
structures underneath.
The next occupational level (Fig. 2) is
represented by three different walls, all
consisting of a single course of stones. Two
of them (W 3, W 4), oriented NE-SW, are
parallel to each other. Considering the
character of the fill and the numerous
artifacts in the space between them, the
passage should be treated as a narrow back
street (c. 1 m wide). In addition, W 3 and
W 2 (oriented N-S) enclose a rectangular
area (locus 2), although they do not, in
fact, form a corner. There is a kind of very
narrow passage between them suggesting
an entrance, but no evident walking level
was identified. W 2 itself turns a corner at
right angles to the west, thus enclosing
a space to the north and west of it that has
been designated as locus 1. The assemblage
here included a rich set of pottery vessels
and basalt tools. Taking into account the
character of the fill (eroded bricks with
evidence of ashes mixed with numerous
pea-like carbonized seeds, and a significant
assemblage of bones and shells), it is
reasonable to consider locus 1 as the ruins
of a kitchen. Besides, a bone sheath with
incised decoration, a metal grinder, and
a spindle whorl were discovered in the
kitchen. A white compact clay floor was
unearthed only in the southern part of the
kitchen, presumably close to its entrance
where a door socket was also revealed. The
stone walls may constitute the sub-
structure of mudbrick walls erected on top
of them. Indeed, a mudbrick wall, W 1,
partly collapsed into the kitchen space, was
located above W 2.
The oldest occupational level, only
fragmentarily identified so far, is repre-
sented by two rounded mudbrick
structures and Tomb 1 itself.
The pottery assemblage from this trench
is completely different from the material
330