Unit Book A16
A16 Synthetic View / Stratigraphy

Phase 5cAAC within unit A16

Giorgio Buccellati – June 2010
Lorenzo Crescioli – May 2012

Back to top: Phase 5cAAC within unit A16

Overview

Some of these later Khabur structures are identified as burials, other as rooms and other are still uncertain. In between the structures outdoor spaces with pavements and street are found. Their chronological assignment to a later phase is based mainly on the stratigraphic relationship with brickfall a4.

Back to top: Phase 5cAAC within unit A16

Burial structures and rooms

In A16 can be identified 8 rooms/structures. 6 were built during this phase and their interpretation is not always easy, because the preservation condition is often bad. Some of them seem to be small houses, and moreover no foundation and very small doorway were found. a1 presents larger dimensions and a stone foundation, so it is probably a room, but unfortunately very eroded. To the East above an higher step other four structures are found. a9 is a burial, a6 is probably a burial too, because freestanding, without foundation small in dimension and with a very small doorway. a3 is a house with a niche and some vessels in situ. a10 is just partially excavated and it look like a tomb for typology, dimensions, doorway. During third construction phase in front of a10 two pisè walls were added forming an outdoor area (a8) with tannurs. Two flanking walls were added to room a1 too.





Back to top: Phase 5cAAC within unit A16

Streets and open areas

     The structures are not organized, they are oriented more or less in the same direction but they do not look following a organized plan. An open area was between a10/a8 and the western structures a6 and a9. East of house a3 a pebble and sherd street was running following the structure itself. To the east another open area was found north of a1 with a pebble pavement. a8 is a open room with tannurs.

Back to top: Phase 5cAAC within unit A16

The great brickfall

     The large brickfall a4 covered all the A16 area It is sloping to the South and to the West It abuts all the structures, so we think they are almost contemporary, and it happened just after a short period after the abandonment of the area. We know the site was highly inhabited few meters to the east. We assign structure a2 and a11 to an earlier moment, because they are covered by the brickfall, while the other structures are “just” abutted. In the upper level it became brickmelt.

Back to top: Phase 5cAAC within unit A16

Objects

     Not many objects were found in primary deposition inside the structures. In room a1 three Khabur jars (i2, i4, i9), another complete jar i14 and a clay figurine i1. Mainly bronze objects were found in burial a9 and structure a6 (silver earring i38, bronze earrings i33, i36, bucket i29) and a painted Khabur bowl i34. In the brickfall a4 and other accumulations mainly clay figurines (i6, q147.2, q304.1), seal impressions (i24, i17, q826.1) a possible clay rython (i21), andiron (i19), a stone axe (q279.1), a beer strainer (i10) and some metal objects, mainly earrings (q4.2 and q145.1).

Back to top: Phase 5cAAC within unit A16