SUMER
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF IRAQ
VOL LXV
Republic of Iraq
Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Antiquities
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage
SUMER
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF IRAQ
VOL. LXV
2019
SUMER
Journal of Archaeology of Iraq VOL.LXV2019
Editor- in chief
Dr. Abdulameer Al-Hamdani
The Minister of Culture, Tourism & Antiquities
Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage Director of Editing
Jacob Jawdat
Editorial Board
Prof. Dr. Nicolas Postgate (University of Cambridge) Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Stone (Stony Brook University) Prof. Dr. Jason Ur (Harvard University)
Assis. Prof. Dr.Stephanie Rost (New York University)
Assis. Prof. Dr. Michelina di Cesare (University of Rome, la Sapienza)
Design by
Karamallah Shgait Meftin
Arabic Revision
Zaman Hussain Mohammed Ahmed Kadhim Nsaif
General Review
Elham Shakir Jawad
Papers should be submitted in doc. and pdf format, addressed to both emails according to our guidelines:
sumer.journal@mocul.iq
jacobjawdat539@gmail.com (director of editing SUMER) State Board of Antiquities and Heritage
PO Box: 55009 Baghdad – Iraq
Guidelines for authors
All contributions, manuscripts and books for review should be addressed to director of editing SUMER (recently) Jacob Jawdat State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Baghdad. The preferred method of submission is an MS Word attachment with accompanying PDF file in an email to the editor as contact information below. Articles may be written in Arabic, English, French or German. The maximum length of the manuscript is 10,000 words, excluding the figures and bibliography, font size 12 for text and 10 for footnote (Times New Roman). The article should be consist on abstract, introduction and conclusions in addition to keywords. As well the figures should be suitable for length of article with resolution at least (300 dpi). Concerning in the cuneiform studies, all fonts used should be included. For the transliteration of cuneiform characters, please use the system established in Rykle Borger, Assyrisch-babylonische Zeichenliste. Sumerian words in English context should be set in capitalized and Akkadian should be italicized wherever it appears, depending on the font used. Footnotes should be numbered consecutively and should appear at the end of the page.
Each author will receive a pdf of his or her article. The responsibility for the views expressed rests with the individual author(s).
Abbreviations
Standard abbreviations should follow the usage of AHw, CAD or CDLI; any other abbreviations should be explained in the first footnote. When citing a specific text in an edition, abbreviated journal, book, or series titles (e.g., MAD, MSL, OIP) should be italicized; catalog numbers (e.g., Msk, RS, TM) are set in roman. Full citations must be provided, even for well-known works. Authors may use author-date citations (e.g., Smith 2009: 83), in which case a reference list (including publisher and city) must be appended to the article. Alternatively.
References
The bibliography at the end of the article should include all the publications and websites referred to in the article. The Social Sciences format may be used for footnotes and bibliography thus:
For footnotes, Smith 2015: 75, and then full details in bibliography. 1. ARTICLE
10. Author1, A. B., and Author2, A. B.
1999-2000: the Article I Wrote. SUMER 50: 42-59. 2. BOOK
11. Author, A. B.
Year: The Book I Wrote. Series Information. Place: Publisher. 3. COLLECTED PAPERS
12. Author, A. B.
Year: The Paper I Wrote. pp. 42-59. in The Symposium to Which I Contributed, ed. eds. A. B. Author 1 and A. B. Author 2. Series Information. Place: Publisher.
Copyright
SUMER journal has full rights to all materials published in it. Once the researcher submits his article for publication, it means he recognizes Sumer's rights to do so. Copying and reprinting of printed material, even in another language, are not permitted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief or Director of editing.
Republic of Iraq
Ministry of Cultural, Tourism and Antiquities
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage
SUMER
Journal of Archaeology of Iraq
VOL. LXV 2019
Content
- FORWARD ………...……..………... 1 - THEORETICAL AND METHODICAL APPROACHES IN THE INTERPRETATION OF A CHILD BURIAL_EXCAVATION AT TELL SAKHARIYA_IRAQ.
Abdulamir al-Hamdani ……….……..5
-SUMMARYREPORTONEXCAVATIONS ATTELL KHAIBER,ANADMINISTRATIVECENTRE
OFTHESEALANDPERIOD,2013-2017.
Stuart Campbell, Robert Killick, Jane Moon, Daniel Calderbank and Eleanor Robson ………. 15
- URUK-WARKA. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2016 – 2018, PRELIMINARY REPORT.
Margarete van Ess With a contribution by Jörg Fassbinder ………...….47
- AL-HIRA SURVEY PROJECT – CAMPAIGNS 2015–2018.
Martina Müller-Wiener, Martin Gussone, Mohammad Hadi Bidan, Ibrahim Salman, Ulrike Siegel, Burkart Ulrich, Frank Stremke ... 87
- TELLO/GIRSU: FIRST RESULTS OF THE TWENTY-SECOND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SEASON (AUTUMN 2016).
Sebastien Rey, Fatma Yassir Husain, Jon Taylor, Angelo Di Michele, Ashley Pooley, James Fraser, Gareth Brereton, Cordelia Hall, Joanna Skwiercz, Faith Vardy, Hilary McDonald, Faleh Noman & Hayder Idan
………...…..111
- TŪLŪL AL-BAQARAT, MOUND 7 (TB7). PRELIMINARY REPORT - SEASONS 2015-2018.
Carlo Lippolis, Eleonora Quirico, Jacopo Bruno, Giulia Ragazzon, Hasanian A. Mohammed, Ahmed S. Kazai, Saadoun K. Shetod, Haydar Taha' and Ali Kamil ………...…….133
- THE IRON AGE DINKA SETTLEMENT COMPLEX NEAR QALADZE (PESHDAR PLAIN) ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION, 2015-2018.
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Forward
Ever since took over the duties of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities at the end of 2018 and the presidency of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) in mid-2019, the SBAH's career has begun “once again” in the field work, publishing and research; the universities, research centers and international organizations have also begun coming to Iraq in order to start work, that includes surveys, excavations and projects aimed at protecting and preserving the heritage of our country, Iraq, as well as for the rehabilitation and training of the staff of the SBAH. Thousands of smuggled artifacts have been repatriated in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other national and international parties; these artifacts including hundreds of cuneiform tablets from Cornell University, and from the Hobby Lobby Group, as well as artifacts from Jordan, Britain and Turkey. For the first time, the University of Pennsylvania Museum is returning Cuneiform tablets that were taken from Ur during the 1992 excavations for maintenance, delivering 387 tablets and broken tablets “fragmented” to the Iraqi embassy in Washington.
This year, after several attempts since 1983, Babylon was on the UNESCO World Heritage List to begin allocating funds to develop the city as an archaeological and tourist attraction. Therefore, conservation projects began to correct the wrong work that took place in the 1980s. This work is carried out in coordination with UNESCO to avoid a recurrence of wrong conservation, with the participation of the World Monuments Fund. In the same context, SBAH has sent scientific reports to the World Heritage Center in order to remove the cities of Ashur, Hatra and Samarra from the list of heritage under threat and return it to the normal list; for example, in Ashur, in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources, a work of stone-toothed and iron-boiled nets was initiated to stop the erosion caused by the Tigris hitting the eastern part of the city, which UNESCO requested in order to remove Ashur from the list under threat.
A National World Heritage Team has been formed to prepare dossiers and files of historical cities and archaeological, heritage and natural sites to be nominated to the list of UNESCO’s world heritage, as there is an initiative list of 12 archaeological and natural sites, including Nimrud, Nippur, Al-Amadiyah Gate, and Wadi Assalam Cemetery, the Medieval sector of Baghdad along the Tigris, The lake of Sawa, the Sea of Najaf, and the ancient pilgrimage route between Kufa and the Macca.
In order to publicize the Iraqi heritage, the Ministry and the SBAH have sought to open archaeological sites and museums in Baghdad and the provinces to local and foreign visitors and to extend the working hours of the Iraqi Museum and provincial museums from morning to evening.
In order to restore the memory of Iraq, which has bled in Mosul and other cities captured by ISIS and other terroristic groups, the SBAH and the Ministry, in coordination with international centers and institutions, have begun an organized
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campaign to restore and rehabilitate the Al-Nuri Mosque, the Nabi Younis Mosque, the City of Nimrud, Ashur and the Mosul Museum. The European Union also submitted a project to restore heritage buildings in the old part of Mosul, and the International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH) submitted a project to restore some of the worship places of mosques and churches in the old part of Mosul, while the University of Pennsylvania sought to restore another worship places in the Nineveh Plain, comprised churches, mosques and temples of Ezidi. Excavations have also begun in the ancient city of Nineveh, both in Tell Quyinjaq and Tell Al-Tawba (Nabi Younis).
In the field of rehabilitation of world heritage sites, the government has allocated funds for the rehabilitation of Samarra as the historical capital of Iraq, Babylon as Iraq's civilizational city, the southern marshes and the cities of Ur and Uruk.
The joint excavation projects between the SBAH and international universities have been reinforced in several locations, including the Expedition of the German Archaeological Institute in Uruk (Warka), the Expedition of the American University of Stony Brook in Ur (Tell Muggayyer), the University of Pennsylvania expedition in Lagash (Telool al-Hiba), the Expedition of the Italian University of Rome in Nina (Tel Zurgul), the French expedition in Larsa (Sankara), The British Museum Expedition in Girsu (Tello), the Slovak Expedition at Umma (Tel Chokha), the Oriental Institute Expedition of the University of Chicago at Nippur (Tell Nuffer), the Expedition of the University of Munich in Shurubak (Tell Fara), the British Expedition of the University of Manchester in Telool Khaiabir, the Italian Expedition of the University of Turin in Telool Al-Baqarat, the Expedition of the University of Rome in Tell Abu Tbira, the German Expedition in Hira, and the Expedition of the American University in Iraq Sulaimaniya) in Ashur. In addition, to excavations, field survey projects has also started in the area of the ancient city of Umma to the west of Rifaie in Dhi Qar province by The University of New York, in the Nomaniyah area of Wasit province by the Italian University of Venice, and in the ancient city of Kufa by another Italian team. Excavation permits have also been granted for a number of other expeditions, including the Russian expedition in Tell Dahaila in Dhi Qar, and in Tell Wajif in Maysan province.
As part of strengthening the link between the SBAH and the Directorate of Antiquities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, meetings were held with colleagues in the region to prepare a unified antiquities law for the country in place of the Antiquities low no. 55 of 2002 adopted by SBAH and the Law of 1974 adopted in the region, in addition to the registration of existing artifacts in the Museums of Sulaimaniya, Erbil and Dohuk in the National Register of the Iraqi Museum.
A digital database and a new map of archaeological sites in Iraq, with a total of 15,000 archaeological sites, have been created to form the nucleus of Iraq's national register.
The Ministry and its SBAH intend to hold an international conference on antiquities next year, discussing topics such as the future of field work in Iraq, recovering smuggled antiquities, publishing, researching and composing, maintaining and restoring antiquities, and discussing the establishment of a new museum for Iraq, that is supposed
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to be larger than the current museum to be a cultural complex. The complex will include a museum, a theatre, a conference hall, gardens and entertainment venues, as the current museum building does not accommodate the entire exhibits and the storage does not accommodate more antiquities. The current building can be converted into a museum of Islamic art.
In the hands of the readers is the new issue of the deep-rooted journal SUMER,. An editorial board of the English section of the journal was proposed to include a group of scholars from American and European universities who specialize in Iraqi civilization, most of whom conducted and still field work in Iraq. The issue includes eight articles in Arabic, five of which are on the results of excavations of national expeditions, while the foreign section of the journal included seven articles and articles on the results of excavations of foreign expeditions.
Dr. Abdulameer Al-HAmdani
Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities
Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage
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Tūlūl Al-Baqarat, Mound 7 (TB7)
Preliminary Report - Seasons 2015-2018
*Carlo Lippolis, Eleonora Quirico, Jacopo Bruno, Giulia Ragazzon, Hasanian A. Mohammed, Ahmed S. Kazai, Saadoun K. Shetod, Haydar Taha, Ali Kamil
Abstract
This preliminary report concerns the archaeological activities of the Italian Expedition on the mounds n.7 and 8 (TB7, TB8) in the area of Tūlūl al Baqarat (Kut, Wasit). TB7-TB8 are the most ancient sites among the Tūlūl al Baqarat mounds. They appear as flat and rounded tells, close to each other and most likely part of the same archaeological settlement. An intensive survey was conducted on the sites followed by the opening of four soundings in the central and north-western parts of TB7. In the central sector of the site (S1, S2, S4), the excavations revealed the evidence of an artificial terrace with side rooms and jutting walls while in the north-western sector (S3) the remains of a multifunctional building (Building A) were investigated. The materials collected so far in the different trenches suggest a main chronological frame of the site within the Early Uruk period.
Introduction
Apart from Tell al Wilaya1, the entire area located south of Kut is little known from the archaeological and historical points of view. In 2008-2010 the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage carried out extensive excavations on the central mound (TB1) of the archaeological area known as Tūlūl al Baqarat2. Tūlūl al Baqarat is a modern
* This article has been elaborated in the frame of the EDUU project, co-funded by the European Union.
1 See M
ADHLOOM 1960; HUSSEIN 2003-2004; HUSSEIN -ALTAWEEL -REJEB 2009; RUMAIYDH
2015.
2 These excavations have been led by Mr. Ayad
Mahir Mahmud.
toponym that refers to a series of mounds of different size and chronology, located in the province of Wasit, around 25 km southwest of Kut and 6 km northeast of Tell al Wilaya, to the southeast of the modern village of Umm al Kheir3 (Fig.1).
3 A site named Tell Baqarat is listed in the IDGA
register (1935, n. 20), in the Atlas of Archaeological sites of Iraq (1970, 164, n. 20) and in the Atlas du sites du Proche Orient (1994, vol. 1, 73); here Baqarat is identified with a site located to the east of the Shatt al Gharraf river and dated to the Obeid period, a phase that, at Tūlūl al Baqarat actually has not been identified (except for some sporadic painted potsherds from the surface of TB7, hypothetically dated to the late Obeid period).
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The excavation revealed a significant religious complex dating to the latest phase of the Neo-Babylonian period on top of the main hill; some architectural structures, stratigraphic layers and finds allowed to date the first occupations of this mound to the Early-Dynastic, Akkadian and Ur III periods, if not earlier.
In November 2013, the Italian archaeological mission started its first season of work after a general survey carried out in 2012. The project is funded by the Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino per il Medio Oriente e l‟Asia (CRAST) with the support of the University of Turin and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. During seven seasons of work on the site4, the Italian team carried out surveys and excavations around the main tell, in order to better define the cultural and chronological horizons of this largely unexplored area. The main research includes: a survey on the whole surface of the tell named TB7 (Iraqi code 2)5, soundings opened on TB1 (the main tell, Iraqi code 6), TB4 and TB7, surface collection and analysis of finds and pottery sherds from TB5 (Iraqi code 5),
The position of Tell Baqarat as reported on these maps does not correspond to the location of our Tūlūl al Baqarat; in fact, the latter lies 30 km to the northwest. The only pre-existing map that include Tūlūl al Baqarat (even if not named) can
be found in HUSSEIN -ALTAWEEL -REJEB (2009,
fig. 2) and it is based on the maps of R. McC. Adams (1981) reworked by C. Hritz.
4 See L
IPPOLIS 2016;LIPPOLIS-DI MICHELE -QUIRICO 2016.
5 There is no conformity between the Iraqi and
Italian topographic codes for the identification of the mounds: during the first expedition (2013), when the numeric codes have been established, the Italian mission was not informed about the Iraqi records.
TB2 (Iraqi code 4), TB9 (Iraqi code 8) and TB10 (Iraqi code 7).
Thanks to these investigations, a general dating showing a continuity of the settlement patterns in the area could be suggested6: a first phase of anthropic occupation is reconstructed on TB7-TB8 starting from the 4th millennium BC (initial Uruk phase), followed by a series of phases of occupation during the Early-Dynastic (on TB1 and TB4), Akkadian-Ur III (on TB1 and possibly TB5), Isin-Larsa/Old-Babylonian (on TB5?), Neo-Babylonian (on TB1), Parthian and Sasanian periods (on TB7, TB9 and TB10) and, finally, a widespread occupation pattern during the Islamic era.
The understanding of the historical role and spatial position of the Tigris River during these periods is necessary to better interpret the settlement patterns and evolution of this archaeological area. According to previous outstanding studies7, the 3rd-millennium course of the Tigris ran to the west of the present one, hypothetically near the area of Baqarat. The analysis of CORONA satellite images taken during the „60s shows the presence of a large light band with a NW-SE orientation located west of Wilaya (about 4 km away), which could be interpreted as one of the ancient watercourse levees related to the Tigris river (Fig. 2).
The archaeological data obtained through the Italian and Iraqi excavations
6 These scenarios could be subjected to further
reassessments since the excavations and surveys are still ongoing.
7
JACOBSEN 1960; ADAMS 1981;HEIMPEL 1990; COLE-GASCHE 1998;STEINKELLER 2001;STONE
2003;HRITZ 2010;MOLINA 2013.
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and surveys underline the importance of this area for the 3rd millennium and attest an initial phase of occupation already during the 4th millennium BCE.8
Tell Baqarat 7 and Tell Baqarat 8
TB7-TB8 are the most ancient sites among the Tūlūl al Baqarat mounds. They appear as flat and rounded tells, located about 700 m south-south east of TB1 (Figs. 1, 3). They lie close to each other and, for this reason, they are most likely part of the same archaeological settlement. However, a large light circular band, chromatically different from the surrounding land, encloses TB7, indicating a hypothetical spatial division between the two areas.
TB7 (32°19‟53”N, 45°44‟00”E) measures approximately 300 m in diameter (7.6 ha) and is characterized by the presence of a high central relief (approximately 3 m in height), while the surface of TB8 (32°19‟52”N, 45°44‟12”E) is about 200 m in diameter (3.1 ha). Illicit diggings are less widespread on these mounds than on the other tells and they are mainly limited to the north-eastern, south-eastern and western sectors of TB79. Indeed, the pottery which has been found on the surface of the two mounds and collected
8 The stratigraphic data from Tell al Wilaya
indicate an anthropic occupation during the 3rd millennium BCE, followed by a general phenomenon of abandonment of the area (HUSSEIN - ALTAWEEL - REJEB 2009ab; RUMAIYDH 2015). It is possible to reconstruct, in this region, the existence of a network of contemporary settlements linked to Tell al Wilaya. The site of Tūlūl al Baqarat confirms this hypothesis, having provided archaeological evidences dating to the 3rd millennium and even earlier.
9 See L
IPPOLIS 2018, 54.
during an intensive survey (2015 expedition), may be dated to the most ancient cultural phases of the entire area.
Data from the survey
TB7-TB8 initially were investigated by means of an intensive field-walking survey. The aim of this survey was to document the distribution of archaeological finds such as lithic, pottery, archaeological artefacts, clusters of materials, architectural remains, traces of human activities (production areas, density of waste) or any other information related to the topography and chronology. In order to obtain more accurate results, the surface of TB7-TB8 was divided by a topographical grid made of squares of 50x50 m (Fig. 4), for a total of 76 squares, covering the entire archaeological area. Throughout the survey, archaeological finds have been collected only if intact or partially intact; if seriously damaged and too fragmentary (or heavily encrusted with salt), the shards have not been collected but their exact location on the surface and their main features have been accurately registered. These archaeological indicators were subsequently processed by GIS applications and inserted in a database in order to discern patterns of distribution over the entire surface of the site.
Besides the pottery sherds (see below), some categories of objects have been collected or counted during the survey: sickles (1442 fragments registered), terracotta cylinders (99 fragments registered), terracotta cones (778 fragments registered), ceramic slag (3480 fragments registered), stone and
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terracotta tools (40 fragments registered) and flints (579 fragments registered). Moreover, several fragments of baked bricks similar to the Nebuchadnezzar‟s ones from TB1 were registered in the north-western sector of TB7; they measured 32-33x32-33x8-9 cm and display elongated stamped inscriptions (still partially readable). However, no traces of Neo-Babylonian pottery have been identified on the surface of the mound or inside the excavated soundings. Therefore, we cannot exclude that the Neo-Babylonian stamped bricks had been transported here from the neighbors mounds (maybe from TB1 itself) and then reused on TB7 during a later occupational phase (likely Parthian 10 ). Except for the pottery sherds, generally abundant on the Mesopotamian mounds surfaces, 49% of the collected objects are sickles, 26% are terracotta cones and 19% are flints; the remaining percentage consists of terracotta cylinders (3%) and stone tools (1%).
Even if the data collected during the field-walking survey are still being processed, some of the preliminary results of the finds analysis (especially that related to the sickles) seem to confirm a hypothetical chronological frame dating to the Uruk period. The same data suggest the existence of a rural settlement on TB7 and the widespread diffusion of agricultural activities. Additional analyses will permit to obtain meaningful information about the economic and social relevance
10 The evidence of a Parthian occupation is
scanty but confirmed by several finds spread almost on the entire surface of the tell as well in the excavated area S3 (see further), as coins, pottery, small objects.
of this site in the regional economic context.
Excavations
Two areas have been chosen for the stratigraphic investigation; the first on the central rectangular relief rising about 3 m above the plain and along its slopes (S1, S2 and S4); the second in the north-western sector of the tell (S3), close to some fragments of Neo-Babylonian baked bricks scattered on the surface and several visible evidences of illicit diggings.
Sounding 1 (S1-TB7) (Fig. 5)
The central area of TB7, with its prominent relief, has attracted the attention of Italian archaeologists since the beginning of the works. Although strongly eroded by natural agents, the relief retains a roughly rectangular shape with its corners oriented to the cardinal points.
A first L-shaped trench of 12x8 m was opened on the northern slope of the central relief of TB7 already in 2015. On its eastern side, after the removal of the soft and sandy topsoil (US1), a compact and homogeneous stratum (US2) was excavated to a depth of about 1.50 m. The cohesion of this stratum and the almost total lack of material, except for several terracotta tubes cylinders11 that
11 For a thorough overview of the cone mosaics
and their use see MOOREY 1999, 309-310:
besides the solid clay cones, "hollow, coarse-ware clay cones, often very much like pottery vessels in appearance, inserted in rows into walls (Tonflaschen)" are very well attested in Baqarat.
In particular, see for comparison HALL,
WOOLLEY 1927, 48, pl. XXI, n. 1468: “Both here and at Shahrain hollow cones or conical tubes occur, some with a broad black band
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were fastened together with a very hard and fine clay and likely used in the decoration of the walls, suggest the existence of a platform or terrace built as a base for a building that is no longer existent. The central relief of TB7 could be therefore likely identified with the remains of a substructure in un-baked bricks and pisé, more or less rectangular in shape.
In the western and central parts of the sounding, however, some walls were clearly identifiable after the removal of US1: M1, oriented northwest-southeast and M2, oriented north-south, are made of square bricks (29x29 cm) or their halves (29x15 cm).
Two other walls (M3 and M4) were identified during the last days of work on the eastern side of the sounding, at a lower level than M1 and M2. These walls seem to differ from M1 and M2 in orientation and brick size.
As already mentioned, the material coming from this sounding consist mainly if not exclusively of terracotta cones and hollow terracotta cylinders (Fig. 5b); the quantity of pottery is not sufficient to provide a precise chronological frame.
Sounding 2 (S2-TB7) (Fig. 5)
Sounding 2 was opened in a lower part of the same area (ca. 1.20 m below the top of the relief) and about 10.50 m southwest of Sounding 1. The excavated
around the broader end”. For what concerns
Uruk, see JORDAN 1928, 37, 63, taf. 85b. A
similar type of mosaic cone, but hollowed out
only at one end, is described in LLOYD S.,SAFAR
F.,FRANKFORT H.1943 (155, pl. XXVIII, n. 4) as a “large mosaic cone of another type, of which only this one example was found. The end is hollow and was dipped in red paint”.
trench measured 6.40x4.80 meters. The removal of the sandy and soft superficial top soil layer exposed the same stratum identified in Sounding 1 (US2): a compact, homogeneous, about 35 cm thick stratum without mud bricks. The second stratum (US3) can be interpreted, hypothetically, as the remains of a collapsed wall. The few visible complete half-bricks measured about 15x28 cm. In the southeastern corner of the trench, a few fragments of un-baked bricks with painted geometrical decorations were discovered. Despite their bad and fragmentary condition, some geometrical motifs could still be recognized such as rows of lozenges or zig-zags in red, black, and white, recalling the well-known IV millennium architectural decorative patterns. In another case, small black painted circles (“pois”) lie on a white or brown background.
The fragments of painted mud bricks, as well as the likely existence of a terrace or platform, may well support the hypothetical presence in origin of an important building in this area, now heavily eroded.
Sounding 4 (S4-TB7)
On the south-eastern side of the central relief (Fig. 6), the Italian expedition opened a large sounding (S4). In 2018 the sounding has been investigated for a total extension of about 23x17 m, but the investigation in this sector are still ongoing. The excavation revealed the presence of two main large walls (M1 and M2) with north-west/south-east orientation characterized along the inner
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facades by niches and buttresses. The state of preservation of these walls, originally more than 2.5 m wide, is very precarious. Today, unfortunately, only the two lower rows of bricks are here preserved at best. Indeed, the structures are preserved only at their base/foundation level or at the level of the first row over the floor. At the moment, while the excavation of the sector is still in progress, we can make a few comments. First of all, the structures of this sector probably belong to two or more building phases. This consideration is suggested both by the presence of different size bricks (one larger than about 38x22 cm and one smaller than about 29x17/18 cm), and by the presence of niches and buttresses of different shapes along the two walls mentioned above; the first one, on the northern side, is a type of “triangular shaped” niche with protruding recesses, the second on the southern wall is a more squared one. The stratigraphic relationships of the walls are still to be defined in detail, but it seems likely that rooms (or even open spaces) originally opened along this facade, then they were narrowed (especially on its southern corner) by the erection of reinforcing walls leaning against the ancient ones.
The pavements of this sector seem to have been simple clay beaten floors, and are recognizable under the collapsed walls by the presence of scanty traces of fireplaces, ashes or ceramic on their surface.
The ceramic coming from the S4 survey is very little. However, the shapes here found can be well inserted in the same cultural horizon already know
from Sounding 3 on TB7 (see below: S3). This can be generally ascribed to the Early Uruk period (LC2). Other materials, except for terracotta cones and cylinders, are here completely absent. Along the south-western limits of the 2018 sounding the excavation detected the presence of a stratum of overlapping bricks and the remains of a drain made of baked bricks and terracotta tubular elements for water drainage, perhaps to be related to a later period or a later building phase.
Moreover, if we look at some aerial images, we may easily recognize a darker and regular zone all around the central relief and at the plain level. The shape of this limit, tangent to the south-eastern and north-western sides of the relief and at a distance of around 10 m on its elongated sides, appears to be approximately squared with rounded corners. A small trench opened here did not reveal any trace of bricks, but only the presence of a homogeneous and compact soil, practically without pottery or other materials inside. At present, we need further data to punctually interpret it, however since the limits of this “belt” around the relief are quite sharp and the terrain inside it different form the one around we may suppose that it represents something artificially realized and for a specific purpose.
The data collected by the archaeological investigations are still under analysis and further research are planned in the future12; however, it is, at
12 During the 2018 winter, the archaeological
activity in this sector was stopped abruptly as consequence of the abundant rainfalls. The investigations will continue during the next expeditions consequently to the architectural
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present, possible to suppose that in the middle of TB7 an artificial central terrace with rooms and jutting walls stood up. Its location at the centre of the site as well as the articulation in niches of some walls suggest an official nature (religious, administrative?) for this structure. According to the archaeological data collected so far (pottery, finds. building material and technique) the older phase and structures here attested can be ascribed to an (Early) IV millennium cultural horizon.
Sounding 3 (S3-TB7), Building A
During the 2015 campaign, a trench was opened in the north-western sector of the mound (S3). Sounding 3 was then enlarged during the 2016, 2017 e 2018 seasons of work up to approximately 35x30 m (Fig. 7); finally some in depth stratigraphic analysis have been realized during the 2018 winter mission. At present we have partially brought to light the plan of a large domestic building (Building A), consisting of more than twenty inner rooms (Fig. 8). The analysis will continue during the next expeditions; within this preliminary report a general description of the excavated area is presented; a more detailed stratigraphic description will be achieved after the conclusive results of the archaeological activities. However, it must be anticipated that the masonry structures, the floors and the domestic installations show the presence of different phases of use, but related to the same cultural horizon, dating to the initial Uruk period.
significance of the area.
Within this presentation a plan of the building, which highlights the main coherent phase, named 3A, is attached. Most of the masonry structures and of the floors until now investigated belong to this phase (the second phase of occupation of the area which is dated, together with phases 3B, the most ancient, and 2 to the initial Uruk cultural horizon). While phases 3B and 3A seem to show a typical domestic use, we hypothesize that, during phase 2, the function of this area changes as a result of the placement of several fire installations (mainly in the north-western sector) maybe useful for specific craft activities. However, some pottery fragments and craft installations display a partial subsequent re-occupation of the area dating back to the Parthian period (belonging to the fourth and final phase of occupation, named phase 1).
The walls are made of rectangular mud bricks measuring mainly 30/32x15/17 cm and 26/28x13/15 cm. The bricks vary in composition: the smaller ones are made of a dark brown clay or of a light brown clay that is very compact and resistant; the larger ones are made of a light brown clay almost free of inclusions. Two different varieties of mortar have been identified: in some cases the bricks are laid with abundant dark-brown mortar (about 2 cm thick); in other cases the bricks display only a thin layer of a bright yellowish plaster mortar (1-1.5 cm thick) between them. The walls are preserved to a maximum height of 30/35 cm; therefore, the stratigraphic deposit is rather reduced and does not allow for a thorough and coherent analysis.
SUMER LXV
All rooms present floors of beaten earth and abundant traces of waste, ashes and debris together with pottery, flint blades, terracotta cones and fragmented sickles. Several fire installations have been identified inside the excavated area as well; the presence of these installations allow to suppose that the waste and ashes concentrations are the debris of domestic activities involving the use of tannurs and ovens.
The general plan of the building is still not complete, but it is possible to analyse and display the main sectors of the domestic unit.
The northern and north-western sectors of the excavated area show a large open area (A1, A18) that could be interpreted as a peripheral external sector of the house. The area is characterized by abundant deposits of ashes and by the presence of several fire installations. The preserved top of most of these structures is located just below the surface top soil layer, so they can be interpreted as belonging to one of the last occupational phases of the building (phase 2).
Among the structures located in this area there is a large oven (US 82), surrounded by some ceramic slags; these findings could suggest the use as oven for pottery production. Near this structure a "parallel walls installation" (US 79) with elongated inner compartments, hypothetically used for the drying of foodstuffs, is located. To the south-east of this large open area, a further rectangular installation (US45) contained small compartments, maybe used for the preservation and drying of cereals, has been found. (Fig. 9). A small circular stone stamp seal was
found inside this structure; it displayed a semicircular cross section, bearing a simple and linear geometric pattern. The central area of Building A (eastern sector) is occupied by a large space (A5) of about 10x4 m. The room contains
tannurs built with small, irregular mud
bricks and pits. The layer of debris that filled the room was rich in pottery. Three painted pots, two spouted vessels, and a deep bowl were found in the southern end of this room; these vessels were part of the grave goods from the burial US 162 identified in these inner space. The two spouted vessels are small in size and painted on the outer surface. The first is characterized by a pale brown fabric, with wavy horizontal lines painted in black. The outer surface of the second spouted vessel (restored), which is similar to the first in shape and size, is painted in red, and presents a band consisting of black zig-zag and horizontal lines on an opaque yellow background, just below the rim. The deep bowl has a pale olive fabric and it is decorated with a geometric pattern in dark brown/black paint on the outer surface, once again below the rim (Fig. 10).
Two rooms located in the central part of the building (rooms A2, A3) have been damaged by illicit diggings that altered their layout and the stratigraphic deposit. While room 2 was almost empty, save for a few pottery sherds, room 3 was preserved in a better condition. The central part of the room is occupied by the rectangular platform US 25 (1.60x1.10 m) made of baked bricks that measure 28x14 cm whose state of preservation is too precarious to allow conjectures about its original function.
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Archaeological finds such as stone tools, clay sickles, flints, and pottery have been brought to light in room 3.
The south-western sector of the house emerged during the 2017 campaign, including a larger room (A16), apparently surrounded by corridors and smaller rooms.
The southern and western sectors returned the largest number of burials that are the content of a specific paragraph of analysis (see below). Part of this area was investigate only by a surface scraping operation which has been carried out in order to identify the limits of the inner rooms and the outer limits of the building.
The eastern sector of the building, which has been investigated during the 2015 expedition, contains three small rooms (A10, A11, A12) cut by a later drain channel extending for about 4.5 m. The drain is built with rectangular baked bricks (30x20x8 cm) and bitumen (five rows of superimposed bricks are still preserved). Bitumen was also used to waterproof the inside of the drain. This drain, maybe realized during the Parthian occupation of the site, cut an older wall made of rectangular mud bricks that is associated with the domestic structures belonging to an earlier phase of the building. These rooms are provided with fireplaces that attest the fulfilment of domestic and manufacturing activities (mainly food processing and cooking)13.
Finally, a deep trench (about 2 m of
13
Inside room 11 more than twenty small clay “nails” / pegs (or labrets?) have been discovered.
height) was opened in room A4 in order to verify the existence of potential earlier phases of occupation. Further anthropic layers and abundant pottery have been exposed, separated by filling and deposit strata and suggest the presence of more ancient levels of occupation.
According to the available information, we may interpret the structures brought to light in S3 as the remains of a residential unit maybe related with the official buildings on the central relief. According to the pottery evidence these structures may be dated to the initial Uruk phase.
The burials of Sounding 3
Some eleven burials were discovered during the excavation works conducted on TB7, Sounding 3. At least nine of them were located inside the boundaries of Building A and were connected to the main occupational phases of this edifice. One of the two remaining burials was accidentally spotted outside the excavation area and was not thoroughly investigated, whilst the other one was placed inside the building, but is probably a later inhumation that does not seem to be related to the other funerary contexts brought to light in the same sector.
The nine burials here discussed belong to the shallow pit burial type; they can vary in shape and dimensions and, in a few cases, they are surrounded by pottery sherds stuck in the ground, mudbricks or shells.
They are all oriented in a NW-SE direction, except for one that is
SUMER LXV
characterized by a NE-SW orientation (Fig. 10c). A certain consistency can be observed in the position of the bodies and in the grave goods associated with them. One of the numerous interesting aspects of these depositions is that almost all of them are supine extended burials that present traces of reed matting originally used to wrap the bodies, as reflected by the almost complete lack of post-depositional movement of bone.
A supine position with the legs flexed on the right side of the body is attested only for one burial. It is worth to underline that in this specific case the position of the body seems to have been determined somehow by the lack of space for an extended burial, since the pit cut through a wall, possibly after this part of Building A was abandoned or its function transformed.
The few infant burials recovered during the excavations were too poorly preserved to reconstruct the exact position of the bodies.
The state of preservation of the bones was generally too bad to provide a biological profile for the individuals; nevertheless, the anthropological analysis of the human remains was possible in one instance, and the skeleton of another individual is currently under study.
All the inhumations are provisioned with grave goods; the most frequently recurring objects are pottery and stone vessels placed at the feet, at the head or in the proximity of the body (Fig. 11). Widespread are food offerings in the shape of animal bones, while more
rarely attested are stamp seals with drilled or incised designs, placed in the hands of the skeleton or between them and the pelvis. The impossibility of estimating sex and age at death for most of the individuals hinders a comprehensive reconstruction of the mortuary practices represented on the site, even if the progress of the archaeological activities could provide new useful insights. A more detailed description of the burial practices adopted on Tell Baqarat 7 as reflected in the S3 archaeological record will be given in a future publication, as soon as the study of the osteological material is completed and the archaeological data fully processed.
Preliminary report on the pottery from TB7 – TB8
This preliminary study is based on the potsherds found during the archaeological investigations conducted by the Italian Expedition in the area of TB7-TB8 during the seasons 2013-2018. Ceramics were collected during surface surveys (seasons 2013 and 2015) and stratigraphic soundings (seasons 2015-2018)14.
Most of the data come from the trench S3-TB7 (Building A) and, to a lesser extent from S4-TB7, while from the other trenches (S1, S2-TB7) there are only scant fragments that are consistent with those found in S3 and S4. Likewise, the material collected during the survey done in 2015 as well as the surface
14 The pottery analysis was conducted by Angelo
Di Michele until 2016 (DI MICHELE 2016)
and by Jacopo Bruno during the 2017-2018 season.
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collections made during the seasons 2017-2018 is almost comparable with that discovered in S3 and S4. Five preliminary fabric groups, together with their related sub-groups, were assigned in total15:
(F1) very coarse to coarse fabric with chaff temper with the colour of the break varying due to the kiln atmosphere and firing condition from light brown (7.5YR6/3), brown (7.5YR5/4), to pale olive (5Y6/4);
(F2) medium porous fabric with sparse to medium sandy inclusions, sometime overfired, with the colour of the break varying from pale olive (5Y6/4) to pale yellow (5Y7/4);
(F3) fine fabric with sparse calcareous inclusions, with the colour of the break varying from pale brown to very pale brown (10YR7/4 – 2.5Y8/2);
(F4) fine to medium porous fabric with sparse to medium density of sandy and calcareous inclusions, with the colour of the break varying from red to light brown (7.5YR6/4);
(F5) fine to medium porous fabric with sparse chaff and calcareous inclusions, with the colour of the break varying from grey (2.5Y5/1) to greyish brown (10YR5/2).
The chaff-tempered fabric (F1) is very well represented within the ceramic
15 No petrographic analysis has been conducted
on the assemblages yet. Therefore, it is not possible to reliably identify petrographically distinct fabrics and/or variations depending on the kiln atmosphere and temperature.
assemblages of TB7 as it is used for the production of the numerous mass-produced shapes found in S3 and S4 (see below). The other shapes are produced in the same main fabric groups –Fabric 2, 3 and 4. The mineral and vegetal inclusions are often fine-grained and most of the ceramic cores and surfaces show a greenish or a brownish tone. In some productions, the presence of regular horizontal traces, especially observed on the inner surface of open shapes and around the rims of the closed shapes seems to indicate the use of the wheel in one of the phases of the production.
Type catalogue
The first diagnostic specimens of the early phases of the ceramic production on the area of Tūlūl al-Baqarat are the different types of the mass-produced pottery as the bevelled rim bowls and the coarse “flower pots”.
The bevelled rim bowl (BRB) – made in a form with a clay mix heavily chaff-tempered – is considered as one of the common Late Chalcolithic (LC 3-5) or Mid- Late Uruk/Uruk-related period “trademark” in southern Mesopotamia16
. Specimens of this type were found mainly during surface collections on TB7-TB8 (Fig. 12, n.1-2) but never during the excavations on TB7 (S1-S4). The occurrence and dating of this type during the first half of the IV millennium is well known through the sequence from the site of Uruk. Here the first specimens of BRB appeared during the Early Uruk period (LC2) from the level
16 H
ELWING 2014. See also ADAMS,NISSEN
1972, 99-100; Wright in ADAMS 1981, 304.
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XII and surely from X/IX17. This type remains in use through the Mid- and Late Uruk period (LC 3-5) when during the phases related to the level VI/IV became obsolete and were replaced by other mass-produced shapes18.
The so-called coarse “flower pots19” are slightly conical bowls with a ring base and finger impressions around the lower part (Fig. 12, n. 3-9). They can be of irregular shape and are always made with a very coarse chaff-tempered fabric (F1). The specimens of this type are clearly moulded by hand and the imprints left by the potter's fingers during the shaping of the bases are clearly visible.
This shape appears at Uruk between the innovations of the Early Uruk period (LC2) recognized from the level XIIb in the deep trenches in Eanna20 and from the level 5 in the trench II-II‟ in the area of the Steingebäude21. In the last trench, this shape is attested from level 522 through level 1 23 that according to Sürenhagen could be related to the levels XIIb-IX that is the Early Uruk period (LC2)24. Similar shapes were found also
17 S ÜRENHAGEN 1999, 17-18. 18 N ISSEN 1970, 132-147; SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 98-103. 19
SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 15, 123-124. See also NISSEN 1970, 138-139 and SÜRENHAGEN
1999, 99-100. 20
SÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/314; 1999, 15, pl.5 n.6. 21 B
OEHMER 1972, pl.53 n.352-353.
22 According to Sürenhagen this level should be
dated at the so-called Proto-Uruk period (SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 122-123).
23
Level 4 (BOEHMER 1972, pl. 54, n.387-388),
Level 3 (BOEHMER 1972, pl. 54, n.402-403),
Level 1 (BOEHMER 1972, pl. 55, n.434-435).
I refer here only to specimens clearly recognizable by the presence of the imprints on the base.
24 See S
ÜRENHAGEN 1999, tab.21.
in other southern sites such as at Tell Qirawi25 in the al-Kut area and at Tell el ‟Oueili26
where should be dated to the Early Uruk period as well.
Besides the mass-produced types, other shapes were found in large quantities during the survey on TB7-TB8 and in the trenches in TB7.
Very common are the flaring rim jars: globular jars with neck and everted rim (Fig. 13, n. 1-2). Probably produced with a mixed technology, moulded by hand and finished with the help of the wheel. The neck is produced separately, probably with the help of the wheel, and then attached to the body. The same process is used also for the ring base attached to the bottom of the vessel. This type is common from the late Ubaid27 throughout Late Chalcolithic 1 28 and Late Chalcolithic 229 periods as shown by the trenches in Uruk and Oueili30. Another common type in TB7 is the spouted jar. Globular (Fig. 13, n. 3-8) or ovoidal (Fig. 14, n. 1-4) jars with a long straight spout on the shoulder, short neck and everted simple rim. The spout and the ring base are clearly produced
25 H ROUDA 1973, fig.6 n.12. 26 C ALVET 1991, pl. X n. 102, pl. XXc. 27
Oueili (LEBEAU 1983, pl.XVI n.2-5), Ras
el-Amiya (STRONACH 1961, 115-116, pl. LV n.
19), Uruk (BOEHMER 1972, pl. 45 n. 24-28,
pl 46 n. 67-74, pl. 53 n. 304-309). 28 C
ALVET 1991, pl. XIII n. 134, pl. XVI n.171. BOEHMER 1972, pl. 48 n. 109-111, pl. 50 n. 165-169, pl. 51 n. 177, 211, pl.53 n. 342-36.
See also BALDI,ABU JAYYAD 2012, 165,
fig.1. 29 B
OEHMER 1972, pl. 54 n. 374-376, n. 399, n.
418; SÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/299-300
30 Furthermore, similar shapes were still
produced in great quantity throughout all the
Early Dynastic periodsMCMAHON 2006, pl.
96.
SUMER LXV
separately and then attached to the body of the vessel in the same way adopted for the flaring rim jars.
This kind of shape was recognized between the dating indicators types for the Early Uruk period in southern Mesopotamia31. Ring bases and straight spouts are common between the finding of the deep layers reached in the trenches in the area of the
Steingebäude 32 that should be dated between the late Ubaid and the Late Chalcolithic 1 (levels XVIII-XIII) 33 although it is not possible to ascribe them to a specific complete shape. In the archaic levels of Uruk this shape was already found between assemblages related to the layers of the Late Chalcolithic 1 (Eanna XIVc-XIII)34. In Eanna35 and Steingebäude36, this shape is well documented throughout the Early Uruk levels (LC2) where became obsolete before the Mid-Uruk period (LC3)37.
Less frequently attested during the survey but quite common in the area of the Building A are the ridged vessels: globular vessels with externally thickened slightly everted rim and one to three plain ridges in the upper part of the shoulder (Fig. 14, n.5-10). At least some
31
ADAMS,NISSEN 1972, 100-101, fig. 30a. 32 B OEHMER 1972, pl. 46 n. 42-48, pl. 49 n. 115-117, n. 134-137, pl. 53 n. 313-314. 33 SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 127 tab. 14. 34 S ÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/359; 1999, 14. 35 S ÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/245, T/246, T/304, T/308, T/327; 1999, pl. 5 n. 11. 36 B OEHMER 1972, pl. 54 n. 377-382, n. 383-384, n. 389, n. 400, pl. 55 n. 430-432. 37 S ÜRENHAGEN 1999, 16. Should be
remembered that from the Mid-, Late Uruk period the bent, dropping versions of the spout instead of the straight one become
common (See ADAMS,NISSEN 1972,
100-101, fig. 30o).
specimens of this shape must be reconstructed with a detached spout below the rim.
Similar spouts decorated with a rope motive instead of the ridge were found in the “post-Ubaid” layers (LC1) of Oueili38. Other sherds that could be related to this shape were found on the surface of Tell Qirawi39. Here, however, the dating of this shape is more difficult but should be considered inside the time span between IV-III millennium40.
The storage vessels are restricted to a common type, frequently found on TB7, the ledge rim vessels (Fig. 15). These are large vessels with ledge rims that usually show a plain ridge or a row of impressions below the rim.
This shape appears at Uruk between the innovations of the Early Uruk period (LC2) recognized from the level XIIb in the deep trenches in Eanna and from the level 4 in the trench II-II‟ in the area of the Steingebäude 41 . Furthermore, it could be traced back through the Mid-Uruk period at least to the layers of level VI42. Similar shapes were found also in Oueili in the levels of the LC1 period43. Another closed shape, found in lower quantities in the area of Building A and in S4, is the pointed base bottle (Fig. 16,
38 C ALVET 1991, pl. XVIII n. 184. 39 H ROUDA 1973, fig. 7 n. 17-18. 40 HROUDA 1973, 13. 41 B OEHMER 1972, pl. 54 n. 367; SÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/317-326; 1999, 15, pl. 5 n. 7°, pl.6 n. 7b, 16.1. 42
SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 16, pl. 6 n. 16.2. See also FINKBEINER 1991, pl. 55 n. 21.
43 C
ALVET 1991, pl. XII n. 119.
SUMER LXV
n. 10). This is a small vessel with a slightly piriform shape, low neck, slightly everted rim and pointed base. This type appears for the first time in the Uruk sequence in levels XV-XIII (LC1)44. It is attested throughout the Early Uruk45 and is considered in the southern Mesopotamian area as an indicator of the Early Uruk period46. In Oueili one specimen was found also in the levels considered of the post-Ubaid period (LC1)47.
Few specimens of gray ware (F5) were found during the excavations in TB7 (S3 – Building A) and are mainly related to open shapes: spherical or sub-spherical bowls with simple rounded rim (Fig. 16, n. 1-3) and slightly carinated bowls with ring-base and inturned or upright rim (Fig. 16, n. 4-6). These shapes, especially the carinated bowls, are well attested in Uruk and in other Uruk-related sites in the Late Chalcolithic 1 and 248.
Furthermore, as in Uruk, in TB7 were found specimens of the carinated bowls produced also in the so-called red ware with the inner and outer surfaces covered with a red wash or a red slip (Fig. 16, n. 7-9). In Uruk this shape in red ware was found mainly in Early
44 B OEHMER 1972, pl. 53 n. 350; SÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/391; 1999, 14, 123, pl. 5 n. 8. 45 S ÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/315, 221, 204, 53; 1999, 14, 18. One specimen (T/53) was found in the level VI (Mid-Uruk) but it should be considered as a secondary context (SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 16).
46 A
DAMS,NISSEN 1972, 101, fig. 30e. See also DE GENOUILLAC 1934, pl. III n. 4693. 47 C ALVET 1991, pl. X n. 105, pl. XXa. 48 HALLER 1932, pl. 17 D a; SÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/382-378, 370-368, 363-362, 348, 253, 228, 227, 201; 1999, pl. 5 n.1.
Uruk levels (LC2)49 as the specimens in gray ware. It is possible that some of them were equipped with a detached spout as some fragments in gray and red ware suggest. Similar bowls with everted lip for pouring were found in the Uruk levels of Tello50.
Two other shapes are produced in a similar ware of the carinated bowls: a small spouted pot and a small handled pot, both found as grave goods in the same burial context in S3 (Fig. 17, n. 1-2). As the carinated bowls, they show a soft fabric of brown colour covered by a red, reddish brown slip quite abraded. They were found associated with another small handled pot of cream colour with traces on the outside and on the handle of a dark red, purple, slip or wash very abraded (Fig. 17, n. 3). The two handle pots could be related to other shapes found in Uruk51 and in other southern sites52 mainly in contexts of the Mid- and Late Uruk period (LC3-5). Further closer comparisons are the small vessels found respectively in Tello53 and Ur54 that could be related to an earlier period55. Generally, those specimens are
49 S ÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/333-332; 1999, pl. 5 n. 2. 50 D E GENOUILLAC 1934, 30, pl. 19 n. 2, pl. III n. 5441. 51 S ÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/5, T/144, T/183; 1987, O/24. 52 A
DAMS,NISSEN 1972, fig. 30 i, j; fig. 41 WS 137; fig. 52 WS 201.
53
DE GENOUILLAC 1934, pl. 20 n. 3b. pl. III n.
5538; PARROT 1948, fig. 10.
54 W
OOLLEY 1955, pl. 53 aU.49. worth to mention that this specimen was found as part of grave goods from a grave in the so-called
“Ubaid II” layer (WOOLLEY 1955, 94,
fig.46-47).
55 The “Warka V” level (D
E GENOUILLAC 1934)
could be inserted according to PARROT
(1948, 42-43) within the levels XII and VII, and more precisely IX-VIII, of Uruk. See
also SÜRENHAGEN 1986, n. T/388 for an
SUMER LXV
of bigger dimension and with a larger strap or twisted handle 56 than the specimens of TB7. Very interesting comparisons are then the large-handled ledges with flat strap handles57 found in context dated to the fourth millennium in south-west Iran58 and in the Hamrin area59.
The small spouted pots consist in three specimens found in two burial contexts inside the area of the Building A, one in red-ware the other two with painted decorations (Fig. 10a; Fig. 17, n. 1, 4-5). They are very close to a similar pot found in Tello60 that could be related to the Early Uruk levels61.
The painted decoration is quite rare between the pottery found in TB7: few fragments, as well as some complete shapes, were found in the excavation of the Building A (Fig. 17, n. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9) whereas some abraded fragments were
earlier fragmentary specimen of similar shape from Uruk (LC1).
56 See for comparisons Wright in A
DAMS 1981,
fig. 3. 57
Worth to mention that a similar shape was
found in the level VI of the Eanna (HALLER
1932, pl. 19B, u; SÜRENHAGEN 1986, S/18).
58 Susa (M
IROSCHEDJI 1976, fig. 8 n. 8); Chogha
Mish (DELOUGAZ,KANTOR 1996, 48,
Protoliterate Family XVIIIa, fig. 8, pl. 82 A-D). 59 Tell Hassan (N ANNUCCI 2012, fig. 5 n. 45). 60 DE GENOUILLAC 1934, pl. 20 n. 3a, pl.2* n.5440. 61 P
ARROT 1948, 40-44, fig. 9c. According to PARROT (1948, 44) the painted pottery could be related to the “Ubaid II” pottery from Uruk (levels XII-VIII, Early Uruk; see HALLER 1932, 35-36; SÜRENHAGEN 1999, 16). Some similarities should be recognized
with fragments found in Uruk (SÜRENHAGEN
1986, T/345), Oueili (CALVET 1991, pl.V n.
57, pl.XI n. 113) and Uqair (LLOYD,SAFAR,
FRANKFORT 1943, pl. XXb n.1-3, 5), testifying the presence of similar spouted shapes during the Ubaid and Uruk period in the area.
found on the surface of the site (Fig. 17, n. 10-14). In the same burial context of the two small spouted pots with painted decoration were found also a large deep bowl with a bulging body, concave shoulders and slightly everted rim with geometric motives painted on the upper part of the outer surface (Fig. 10b; Fig. 17, n. 6). The shape and the decoration of the vessel recall specimens from the Late Ubaid and Late Chalcolithic 1 levels of Uruk62, Oueili63, Uqair64. Another complete specimen of the same shape65 (Fig. 17, n. 7), this time without painted decoration and a painted fragment (Fig. 17, n. 8) were found respectively inside a grave and in the surface layers of the Building A.
Other fragments of painted ware are related to plates (Fig. 17, n. 9) with flattened inturned rim and red painting on the outer and inner surfaces below the rim that once again find comparisons with Ubaid and LC1 levels southern sites such as Uruk66 and Oueili67.
Chronology and pottery assemblages
Some of the shapes found during the excavations in TB7 (i.e. pointed-base bottle, vessels with long straight spouts, etc.) are considered as dating indicators for the Early Uruk period (LC2) in southern Mesopotamia68 as confirmed by the chrono-typology of the pottery
62 K ALB 1983, pl. 31 n. 17; SÜRENHAGEN 1986, T/371. 63 C ALVET 1991, pl. XVI n.160. 64 L
LOYD,SAFAR,FRANKFORT 1943, pl. XIXb n.3, 18. 65 L EBEAU 1983, pl.IX n. 2. 66 H ALLER 1932, pl. 16D g; KALB 1983, pl. 38b n. 1. 67
LEBEU 1983, pl. II n.4; CALVET 1991, pl. XVI
n.159. 68 A
DAMS,NISSEN 1972, 100-101.
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from the deep trenches in Eanna and in the Steingebäude where many links within their “Proto-Uruk” and Early Uruk (LC1-2) assemblages and the assemblage of TB7 were found. Early versions of shapes in gray and red ware, as well as painted ware that occur in the LC1-2 levels of the Eanna and
Steingebäude sequences, were found in
the excavations of the Building A sometimes in quite complete conditions. In particular, the painted ware found in TB7 recalls in the shapes and decorations specimens dated between the Late Ubaid and Late Chalcolithic 1-2 periods.
Based on the comparisons provided by Uruk and the other sites of the south, it is possible to observe that within the assemblages of TB7 there are many elements that could be dated starting from the end of the Ubaid period and mainly during the Early Uruk phase (LC2).
Some other shapes, such as the two small handled pot, according to the comparisons with other sites may refer to a later period as similar shapes were found mainly in contexts of the Mid-/Late Uruk period (LC3-5). Hoverer, as far as concern the specimen of TB7, the stratigraphic sequence of the excavation of S3 – as well as the study of the burial related to them – seems to corroborate the hypothesis of their dating in the same chronological horizon of the ceramic assemblage of S3 and therefore within the LC2 period.
Dating indicators of the Late Uruk period are so far missing in the ceramic complex found during the excavations.
As mentioned before, few fragments and quite complete specimens of bevelled rim bowls were found during the survey (season 2015) on TB7-TB8 and in the surrounding fields69 but none in the sounding on the central part of the site (S4) nor in the Building A (S3). This shape has its origins in the Early Uruk period70, but according to the results of the survey made by Adams this mass-produced type is either absent or occur only in very limited quantity in the Early Uruk period in southern Mesopotamia71. Worth to mention that one of the most common shapes in the assemblage of TB7 is another mass-produced type, the so-called coarse “flower-pot” (proto-GBT) that should be considered a dating indicator for the Early Uruk period72. As for the other features of the Mid- and Late Uruk period73 – such as rope handles, spouts attached to the rim, false spouts, dropping spouts74 – are absent inside the soundings on TB7 and there are only sporadic and unclear fragments on the surface of the site. Furthermore, only sporadic fragments of Jemdet Nasr pottery (Fig. 17, n. 14) were found out of context on the surface of TB7 as well as very abraded fragments of green glazed Hellenistic-Parthian pottery.
The excavation has detected some architectural phases within the complex of the Building A and in S4 currently under study. The presence of different architectural phases does not seem to have a counterpart in the ceramic
69 D I MICHELE 2016, 101. 70 S ÜRENHAGEN 1999, 17-18. 71 A DAMS,NISSEN 1972, 100. 72 SÜRENHAGEN 1999, pl. 5 n. 6. 73 S ÜRENHAGEN 1999, 19-20. 74 A DAMS,NISSEN 1972, 100 148
