Khabur Valley

Through Nicholas Al-Jeloo's exhibition, the general Fairfield community is able to witness the immense pride of the Assyrian people and the celebration of Persistence & Existence. The Assyrians are a key community in Fairfield. This exhibition showcases how the contemporary life of the Assyrian people is deeply rooted in the past and traditions of Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria.

This paper shows for the first time a comprehensive study of the coroplastic art from the Neo-Syrian kingdoms during the whole Iron Age. The study is part of a recently concluded Ph.D. research project that aimed at defining regional trends for the coroplastic production of the Northern Levant. Thus first of all a general introduction to the many problematics encountered during the research is provided, i.e. the relative paucity of raw data and previous errors of method. In second instance, the new method adopted in the research is described, demonstrating that the coroplastic art of the Northern Levant is characterized by a great heterogeneity in terms of numeric finds, chronologies, and types. Different traditions are in fact tentatively identified in the following micro-regions: the Middle Euphrates Valley (Karkemish, Tell Ahmar, Tell Amarna, Zeytinli Bahçe Höyük, Saraga Höyük, Kefrik, Deve Höyük, Tell Shiukh Fawqani), the Amuq Plain (Tell Tayinat, Tell Judaidah, Chatal Höyük), the Islahiye Valley (Zincirli Höyük), the Aleppo Plateau (Tell Afis, Tell Abou Danne, Tell Rifaat, Neirab), the Upper Orontes Valley (Hama), and the Khabur Valley (Tell Halaf). The heterogeneity of these clay figurines reflects the multi-ethnic character of these Neo-Syrian states. From one hand, during the Iron I period the incursion of the Aegean foreign element has deeply stimulated the local production of part of this large region. From the other hand, toward the end of the Iron II and full Iron III periods we assist to a new growth of figurine finds mirroring the penetration of a new wealthy economic model imported with the Neo-Assyrian provincialization of the Northern Levant.

La  llamada  estatua  de  Tell  Fekheriye  fue  hallada  en  el  sitio  del  mismo
nombre, ubicado a escasos kilómetros de Guzana (Tell Halaf), la capital del
reino arameo del alto Khabur. Representa de  cuerpo entero al  líder  local,
Hadad-yis’i,  y porta una  inscripción  bilingüe  en  acadio  y  arameo. Datada
en  la  segunda  mitad  del  siglo  IX  a.C.,  es  expresión  de  un  momento
transicional en el plano sociopolítico, ya que Bit-Bahiani se encontraba por
entonces en proceso de integración al estado neo-asirio; mientras que en la
versión  acadia  Hadad-yis’i  es  llamado  “gobernador”,  en  la  aramea  se  lo
denomina  “rey”.  La  auto-representación  de  Hadad-yis’i  expresa  el
posicionamiento que el rey-gobernador postula para sí en relación con sus
señores  asirios  y  con  el  ámbito  de  elite  local.  La  estatua/inscripción  se
abordará  poniéndola  en  relación  con  otras  piezas,  provenientes  tanto  del
valle del Khabur como de Asiria y de Siria. Como podrá ponerse de relieve,
es  posible  observar,  tanto  en  el  nivel  iconográfico  como  en  el  textual,
alternantes  apropiaciones  selectivas  de  elementos  propios  de  las
representaciones reales asirias y de tradición  local y occidental. Se genera,
de  este modo,  un  discurso  en  el  que  el  líder  local  se muestra  como  un
practicante eficaz tanto de la cultura de elite neo-asiria como de tradiciones
de  remisión  local  y  occidental,  al  tiempo  que  reclama  para  sí  una
integración negociada al sistema de dominación neo-asirio.

Among numerous 3rd Millennium BC sealings found during the Syrian Polish excavations on Tell Arbid in North- Eastern Syria there was one bearing impression of a cylinder seal, another impression of which was found earlier on a fragment of a ceramic jar. In the Khabur region, it is the first case that impression of same cylinder was found impressed on pottery and another sort of sealing. Impressions were found in different areas of the site one far away from the other. Its discovery adds some new elements to discussion on function of seal impression on pottery in Early Jezireh III period.

Разведки, проведенные Б. Лионне и Й. Нишиаки, охватили обширную площадь около 5000 кв. км. Подъемный материал собирался на 130 теллях. Здесь важно отметить, что все сборы подъемного материала после старых разведок М. Маллована тяготели к восточной части Хабурских равнин, в то время как Б. Лионне выбрала для своего проекта западную часть Хабурского треугольника от русла Хабура на западе, до одного из его притоков вади Дара – вади Ханзир на востоке. Временные рамки проекта от палеолита до средневековья.  Помимо этого, о значительности проведенных работ может свидетельствовать тот факт, что собранная коллекция составила около 15 тонн.

This paper provides an overview of the archaeological data concerning the transition from Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age in the Upper Khabur valley, in the Syrian Jezirah.
The long sequence of occupation exposed in area G at Tell Barri, Old Babylonian Kahat, allows us to appreciate the development of ceramic production from the perspective of the longue durée, and to evaluate the repertory dating to the phase of de-urbanization in Jezirah at the very end of the 3rd millennium BC. Additional evidence comes from recent investigations in area Q, where the southern periphery of the late 3rd - early 2nd millennium BC settlement has been brought to light, providing us with a new set of ceramics reminiscent of southern Mesopotamian Ur III and Isin-Larsa types. The upper layers of Khabur ware period testify of the urban growth of Middle Bronze Age Kahat