Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (15.2003(2004))

TELL ARBID

SYRIA

TELL ARBID
THE 2003 CAMPAIGN
OF POLISH-SYRIAN EXCAVATIONS
PRELIMINARY REPORT

Piotr Bielinski

It was the eight field season in a row on Tell Arbid and the longest one yetOur objective
this year was to gain insight into the settlement of the 3rd millennium BC and the Nineveh 5
period in particular; hence our efforts were focused on the exploration of sectors where layers of
this period had been identified already in earlier campaigns. The trenches in areas “D”, “SD”
and “SL” were extended and deepened, and a few new test trenches were excavated in the
southern, as yet unexplored part of the main tell (designated as area “W”) (Fig. 1 )■
1) The season started on August 19 and lasted until October 5, 2003- The Polish side of the expedition included
archaeologists: Dr. Dorota Lawecka, Dr. Anna Smogorzewska, Dr. Dariusz Sze4g, Mrs. Dorota Bielinska, Ms. Zuzanna
Wygnanska, Ms Agnieszka Szymczak, Ms Aleksandra Oleksiak, Ms Agnieszka Pienkowska, Mr. Andrzej Reiche, Mr. tukasz
Rutkowski, Mr. Hubert Czerski, and the author, as well as four archaeology students: Ms Marta Momot, Ms Marta
Tchorzewska, Ms Monika Ozdarska and Mr. Maciej Makowski. On the Syrian side, Dr. Ahmad Serriye was accompanied by
Ms Rabab Mualla and Mr. Elias Abdel Nour. Anthropologist Dr. Arkadiusz Soltysiak joined the team for a time.
As always, we benefited greatly from the unfailing help and friendly support of the DGAM in general and Dr. Michel
al-Maqdissi, Director of Excavations, in particular. We are indebted to the staff of the Regional Directorate of Antiquities
in Hassake and especially to its Director, Mr. Abed Abdel Messih Bardo.

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