Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

TELL ARBID

SYRIA

a radius of c. 500 m around the main tell.
Investigations in Area "A" (northwest of
the main tell) in 1996, 1997 and 2002
confirmed the presence of occupational
layers corresponding to the Roman, Hel-
lenistic, Mitannian and Early Dynastic pe-
riods on this small mound, suggesting again
that the fields around the main tell, already
scarred by modern deep-ploughing, con-
cealed archaeological strata corresponding
to the cities that flourished on the spot in
the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. To put it
AREA
Excavations were continued in squares
35/64, 35/65, 36/64 and 36/65, and three
new pits were opened in squares 33/65,
34/65 and 35/66. The total surface investi-
gated during this campaign in area "SD"
approached 350 sq. m.
The most recent archaeological features
discovered in the sector this season should
be dated to the Khabour-ware period. They
were unearthed in the northwestern quar-
ter of square 35/64. It was a pit, filled with
Khabour-ware potsherds, cutting into a pise
wall only slightly older than the pit itself.
Remains representing Late Akkadian and
post-Akkadian phases in the history of
human occupation on Tell Arbid (Early
Jezirah IV a-c) were more numerous. Found
mostly in square 36/64, these relics con-
sisted of one small basin-like installation
paved with potsherds and stones, four rather
large pits in the central and northeastern
part of the square and, finally, four simple
inhumation burials. One of these contained
the bones of a child without any accom-
panying grave goods (G 10) and two were
secondary burials (Gil and G12), while

in a different way, an ancient "lower city"
of considerable size could have existed
around the main tell. Our hopes lay mainly
in the western part of the site, where
remains of a defense system protecting
ancient Arbid in the 3rd and 2nd
millennia BC were expected. The results of
similar geophysical surveys carried out
recently in Tell Khuera and Tell Mozan
had given us reason to hope, but un-
fortunately, in our case, the findings were
not as conclusive.2
"SD"
the fourth grave yielded a metal pin and jar
of so-called pseudo-metallic type placed
with the skeleton.
Better preserved architectural remains
appeared in square 36/64 in layers of the
Late Early Dynastic (III b) and Akkadian
periods. Sections of mud-brick walls dis-
covered in the eastern and southern parts of
the square proved to complement the layout
of houses excavated by the expedition a few
years earlier in squares 35/65 and 36/65.3
The most important structure, the plan of
which could be added to substantially as
a result of the present excavations, was the
Northern House of Late Early Dynastic III
period. It now looks as if the northwestern
corner of the building either extended furt-
her to the east or had another building
built onto it while still operational. This ad-
joining structure consisted of at least three
small rooms laid out in a row (loci 40, 54
and 56). Only their northern ends were
explored within the limits of the present
trench; even so, it is clear that each was
built separately with walls touching on the
walls of neighboring structures, giving in

2 For a report on the survey, see contribution by T. Herbich in this volume, 490-496.
3 See PAM XV, Reports 2003 (2004), 338-341.

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