Ruins in Northern Syria Bear the Scars of a City’s Final Battle

New York Times ^ | January 16, 2007 | John Noble Wilford

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists digging in Syria, in the upper reaches of what was ancient Mesopotamia, have found new evidence of how one of the world’s earliest cities met a violent end by fire, collapsing walls and roofs, and a fierce rain of clay bullets. The battle left some of the oldest known ruins of organized warfare. The excavations at the city, Tell Hamoukar, which was destroyed in about 3500 B.C., have also exposed remains suggesting its origins as a manufacturing center for obsidian tools and blades, perhaps as early as 4500 B.C... Expanded excavations at Tell Brak, Habuba Kabira, Hamoukar and elsewhere in northern Syria, Dr. Algaze said, have revealed that some northern cities were larger at an earlier time than was expected. And ample evidence is being found for specialized industries like the obsidian works at Hamoukar... Almost no field work has been done in Iraq since 1990, leaders of Mesopotamian archaeology say, and concern is mounting that war and looting have left prized sites in disarray. New hydroelectric projects are another spur to stepped-up excavations in Syria and Turkey. Archaeologists are rushing to dig before ruins are inundated by dammed rivers. Research at Hamoukar has been under way since 1999. The Chicago-Syria team has now determined that the 40-acre heart of the city was surrounded by a 10-foot-thick wall. The main mound covering ruins extends over 260 acres, and in the outskirts to the south, pottery and obsidian flakes and cores are scattered over some 700 acres.

[SunkenCiv]

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Archaeological digs at Tell Hamoukar in Syria have yielded the remains of a body, possibly a war casualty. [University of Chicago]

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This topic is an update from a similar story posted about a year ago, see below for links.

[SunkenCiv]

Ancient Citadel Shows Scars Of Mass Warfare (Mesopotamia - 3500BC)
New Scientist | 12-16-2005 | Will Knight
Posted on 12/16/2005 11:34:38 AM EST by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541781/posts

Artifacts found at ancient city ("This was 'Shock and Awe' in the Fourth Millennium BC.")
Middle East Times | December 17, 2005
Posted on 12/22/2005 12:41:34 AM EST by nickcarraway
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1545172/posts

New Discoveries In Syria Confirm Theory On Spread Of Early Civilization
Newswise.com | 6-2-2002 | Carrie Golus
Posted on 06/03/2002 4:42:03 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/694010/posts

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Pharmboy.

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[To Hell With Poverty]

"Archaeologists are rushing to dig before ruins are inundated by dammed rivers. "

Damned rivers! ;)

[Fred Nerks]

Aerial photograph of fourth millennium B.C. (Late Chalcolithic) architecture; note tripartite buildings excavated in 2001 (left corner) and 2005 (right middle); date: ca. 3,500 B.C.

thumbnails:

http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/05/051216.hamoukar-photos.shtml

[indcons]

Ping

[SunkenCiv]

Tell Hamoukar is the best ancient ruin by a dam site.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks! Nice graphic.

[SunkenCiv]

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