DOI issue:
Syria
DOI article:Mazurowski, Ryszard Feliks: Tell Qaramel: excavations 2006
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42092#0575
TELL QARAMEL
SYRIA
SQUARE J-8 B,D
Two settlement levels, both connected
with the Early PPNA horizon, were
uncovered in this square, which was the
highest-lying of the trenches explored this
year (for previous work, cf. Mazurowski
2007: 485 and Fig. 2).
STRATUM VIII - LEVEL 12
The main house in this level (loc. 19) [Fig. 1,
left] is semi-subterranean, oval in shape and
made of big stones and mud mixed with
small river pebbles. It was about 4 m in
diameter (partly damaged by Early Bronze
Age pits) with walls 0.50 m wide and
preserved to a height of 0.40-0.50 m. The
outer wall face was made of big, sometimes
dressed flat stones. Inside it, there was a
bench made of small and medium-sized
pebbles, thickly plastered with red mud.
The floor made of the same red mud was 3-
5 cm thick. Some sickle-blades, flakes and
blades were found on the floor.
The other structure (loc. 13) is distinctly
smaller, oval (about 1.20 m in diameter)
with red mud used for the wall, which was
0.20-0.30 m wide and about 0.20 m high,
and was reinforced with small pebbles.
Several flint artifacts and a large quantity of
bones were recovered from this locus.
An irregular structure of hard white
mud (loc. 16), 3-7 cm thick, was located
to the south. Below the round and regular
center, also of mud, there was an oval pit,
about 0.40 m deep, featuring a conical
bottom. It was filled with red soil and
burned stones, as well as a few bones.
Two small oval hearths (nos 9 and 10)
were discovered in the southern part. They
measured 0.20-0.30 m in diameter and
were 1-15 cm deep, containing a fill of
grey ash and isolated burned bones.
STRATUM VIII - LEVEL 13
An oval building (loc. 18) occupied the
center of the square in the next level (also
damaged by a large and deep Early Bronze
Age pit) {Fig. 1, right]. Made of white
mud and oval in shape, it was raised on
a foundation of flat pebbles. The diameter
was 2.50-3.00 m. A bench of small pebbles
plastered with light red mud, about 0.35-
0.40 m high, was added against the east
wall inside the house. The wall, c. 0.30 m
wide, was made of hard white mud, the
same kind that was used for the floor,
which was laid on a bedding of small
pebbles. Nothing but a few blades and
bones were found inside the house.
Of the six hearths situated around the
house, no. 11 with a diameter of 0.80 m
was the biggest. It was made of flat stones,
laid in an oval shape, and covered with red
mud. Some bones were found in its fill.
The remaining hearths (nos 12, 13, 14 and
19) were also oval in shape but much
smaller, from 0.20 to 0.40 m in diameter.
They consisted of thin layers of gray ash
(2-10 cm) with no artifacts. The sole
exception is hearth no. 15 which contained
grey ash, red soil, charcoal as well as some
burned pebbles.
The five pits discovered among the
hearths (nos 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) were not
very big, from 0.10 to almost 0.80 m in
diameter and 0.10-0.20 m deep (pit 12
was 0.40 m deep exceptionally). All were
filled with red soil and grey ash. Finds
included isolated flint artifacts and bones.
A posthole north of loc. 18 was 0.15 m in
diameter, 0.40 m deep and covered with
red mud. The fill consisted of red soil, grey
ash, charcoal and burned stones without
any artifacts.
572
SYRIA
SQUARE J-8 B,D
Two settlement levels, both connected
with the Early PPNA horizon, were
uncovered in this square, which was the
highest-lying of the trenches explored this
year (for previous work, cf. Mazurowski
2007: 485 and Fig. 2).
STRATUM VIII - LEVEL 12
The main house in this level (loc. 19) [Fig. 1,
left] is semi-subterranean, oval in shape and
made of big stones and mud mixed with
small river pebbles. It was about 4 m in
diameter (partly damaged by Early Bronze
Age pits) with walls 0.50 m wide and
preserved to a height of 0.40-0.50 m. The
outer wall face was made of big, sometimes
dressed flat stones. Inside it, there was a
bench made of small and medium-sized
pebbles, thickly plastered with red mud.
The floor made of the same red mud was 3-
5 cm thick. Some sickle-blades, flakes and
blades were found on the floor.
The other structure (loc. 13) is distinctly
smaller, oval (about 1.20 m in diameter)
with red mud used for the wall, which was
0.20-0.30 m wide and about 0.20 m high,
and was reinforced with small pebbles.
Several flint artifacts and a large quantity of
bones were recovered from this locus.
An irregular structure of hard white
mud (loc. 16), 3-7 cm thick, was located
to the south. Below the round and regular
center, also of mud, there was an oval pit,
about 0.40 m deep, featuring a conical
bottom. It was filled with red soil and
burned stones, as well as a few bones.
Two small oval hearths (nos 9 and 10)
were discovered in the southern part. They
measured 0.20-0.30 m in diameter and
were 1-15 cm deep, containing a fill of
grey ash and isolated burned bones.
STRATUM VIII - LEVEL 13
An oval building (loc. 18) occupied the
center of the square in the next level (also
damaged by a large and deep Early Bronze
Age pit) {Fig. 1, right]. Made of white
mud and oval in shape, it was raised on
a foundation of flat pebbles. The diameter
was 2.50-3.00 m. A bench of small pebbles
plastered with light red mud, about 0.35-
0.40 m high, was added against the east
wall inside the house. The wall, c. 0.30 m
wide, was made of hard white mud, the
same kind that was used for the floor,
which was laid on a bedding of small
pebbles. Nothing but a few blades and
bones were found inside the house.
Of the six hearths situated around the
house, no. 11 with a diameter of 0.80 m
was the biggest. It was made of flat stones,
laid in an oval shape, and covered with red
mud. Some bones were found in its fill.
The remaining hearths (nos 12, 13, 14 and
19) were also oval in shape but much
smaller, from 0.20 to 0.40 m in diameter.
They consisted of thin layers of gray ash
(2-10 cm) with no artifacts. The sole
exception is hearth no. 15 which contained
grey ash, red soil, charcoal as well as some
burned pebbles.
The five pits discovered among the
hearths (nos 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) were not
very big, from 0.10 to almost 0.80 m in
diameter and 0.10-0.20 m deep (pit 12
was 0.40 m deep exceptionally). All were
filled with red soil and grey ash. Finds
included isolated flint artifacts and bones.
A posthole north of loc. 18 was 0.15 m in
diameter, 0.40 m deep and covered with
red mud. The fill consisted of red soil, grey
ash, charcoal and burned stones without
any artifacts.
572