Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (7.1995(1996))

TELL RAD SHAQRAH

EXCAVATIONS 1995
by Piotr Bielinski
In the fall of 1995, the fifth campaign of Polish excavations
took place at Tell Rad Shaqrah, a small mound situated within the
Hassake Southern Dam Basin in north-eastern Syria. ^
The primary aim of our investigations on Tell Rad Shaqrah
this year was to establish the full stratigraphical sequence of the site
and, particularly, the 3^ milk B.C. settlements on the teH. The
problem of correlating the stratigraphy of particular sectors of the
site was also to be addressed. Two secondary goals included the
exploration of the western slope of the mound in search of remains
of the Early Dynastic period defense wall and an extensive study of
the spatial organization of the 3^ mill, settlements near the centre
of the site (Fig. 1).

' The season started on August 28 and lasted until October 11, 1995. The
staff of the mission, more numerous than usual, comprised the present author
(who headed the mission), Mrs. Dorota Bielinska, Miss Dorota Lawecka,
Mr. Andrzej Reiche, Mr. Rafal Kolinski and Mr. Dariusz Szelqg, all
archaeologists, and two archaeology students from Warsaw University:
Mrs. Irena Kolinska and Miss Agnieszka Zysek.
We should also mention here our Syrian colleagues and collaborators from
the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums. We owe special thanks to
Director General, Dr. Sultan Muhessen, for his friendly interest and en-
couragement, as well as to Dr. Adnan Bounni and Mr. Nasib Saliby for their
constant support and organizational help. We are also indebted to Mr. Jean
Simon Lazar, Regional Director of Antiquities in Hassake, and Mr. Abd el-
Messih Bardo who actively collaborated with us in the held as representative
of the Directorate General. We greatly appreciated his competence in field
archaeology. We owe special acknowledgments to Elektromontaz Export of
Warsaw and its President Mr. Jerzy Lewandowski for financial support of the
mission's work this year.

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