Archaeological Explorations in Syria 2000-2011

Syria has been a major crossroads of civilizations in the ancient Near East since the dawn of human kind. This volume brings together scholars involved in archaeological activities in Syria and focusses on the scientific aspects of each explored site, allowing researchers to examine in detail each heritage site, its characteristics a

Syria has been a major crossroads of civilizations in the ancient Near East since the dawn of human kind. Until the current crisis began in 2011, Syria was one of the foremost pioneers in the investigation of past human knowledge, diversity, and identity. However, due to the ongoing war, archaeological excavations came to an abrupt halt. Since then, there have been countless alarming reports of damage or destruction inflicted on archaeological, historical, and museum sites. The International Syrian Congress on Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (ISCACH), held December 3-5, 2015 in Beirut, Lebanon, was designed to bring together international scholars who have directed or participated in archaeological expeditions in Syria, and colleagues from Syria. By doing so, not only could the results of years of archaeological investigations and cultural heritage management in Syria be shared and discussed, but also a spirit of friendship and collaboration could be fostered and strengthened during this turbulent period. The Congress focussed on the scientific aspects of each explored site and region allowing researchers to examine in detail each heritage site, its characteristics and identity. Archaeological Explorations in Syria 2000-2011: Proceedings of ISCACH-Beirut 2015 consists of two parts. The first part presents the results of archaeological investigations conducted between 2000 and 2010. The second part comprises abstracts of papers and posters presented during the Congress. It is hoped that this book will represent an important contribution to the scientific dialogue between international and Syrian scholars, and will appeal to the general public interested in the culture and history of Syria.

Introduction – by Jeanine Abdul Massih and Shinichi Nishiyama ;

THE EXCAVATIONS IN SYRIA 2000-2010: Aleppo: The Paleolithic Excavations at the Dederiyeh Cave, Afrin Valley (1989-2011) – by Takeru Akazawa and Yoshihiro Nishiaki ;

Archaeological Excavations at Tell Qaramel 1999-2011 (Aleppo-North Syria) – by Yousef Kanjou ;

The Last Excavation at Arslan Tash/Shiran – by Serena Maria Cecchini and Fabrizio Venturi ;

Unfinished Work at Tell Ahmar. Early and Middle Bronze Age Finds – by Guy Bunnens ;

A Colonnaded Building in a Commercial Area at Seleucid Jebel Khalid – by Heather Jackson ;

The Monuments of Cyrrhus - Nebi Houri – by Jeanine Abdul Massih ;

Archaeological and Architectural Studies in Northern Syria (Dead Cities): General Presentation with Three Missions in El-Bâra and Ruweiha – by Maamoun Abdulkarim and Gérard Charpentier ;

Damascus ;

A New Place of Worship Dedicated to Zeus Theandrios inside the Temple Precinct of Damascene Jupiter – by Houmam Saad ;

Al-Qaryatayn in the Heart of the Syrian Desert: Deir Mar Elian Al-Sheikh – by Wouroud Brahim ;

Daraa/Suweida: A Survey of Prehistoric Sites in Daraa, Southern Syria – by Ahmad Diab ;

Tell Al-Ashaari in Hauran Throughout the Bronze Age: The 2010 Excavation Results – by Qasem Al-Mohammad ;

Hassake: Tell Fekheriye. A Synopsis of Excavations and Ongoing Research Questions – by Dominik Bonatz ;

Tell Halaf (Ancient Guzana) - Excavation Results between 2006-2010 – by Mohammad Fakhro ;

The Pre-Pottery to Pottery Neolithic Settlement of Tell Seker Al-Aheimar, Hassake, Upper Mesopotamia – by Yoshihiro Nishiaki ;

Excavations at Tell Taban: Culture and History at Ṭābatum/Ṭābetu during the Second Millennium BC – by Hirotoshi Numoto, Daisuke Shibata and Shigeo Yamada ;

Tell Barri/Kahat 2000-2010: The Contribution of the Excavations to the History of the Jezireh – by Raffaella Pierobon Benoit ;

Tell Feres: The First Proto-Urban Societies in Northern Mesopotamia Through a Rural Perspective – by Johnny Samuele Baldi and Régis Vallet ;

Homs/Hama: The Lower Paleolithic of the El-Kowm Area (Central Syria) and the Question of the First Inhabitants of the Syrian Desert – by Jean-Marie Le Tensorer, Hélène Le Tensorer, Reto Jagher, Pietro Martini, Peter Schmid, Juan José Villalain, Fabio Wegmüller, and Sultan Muhesen ;

The Long Paleolithic Sequence of Hummal (Central Syria) – by D. Wojtczak and J.-M. Le Tensorer ;

Japanese Archaeological Work in Palmyra from 1990 to 2010 – by Kiyohide Saito ;

Archaeological Investigations of the German Archaeological Institute in the Hama Region 2003-2010 – by Karin Bartl ;

Holocene Paleoenvironments and Settlement Patterns in Western Syria and Lebanon: the PaleoSyr/PaleoLib Project – by Bernard Geyer and Frank Braemer ;

Qalaat al-Mudiq, Citadel of Apamea: Past and Present – by Mathilde Gelin and Shaker Al-Shbib ;

Tell Maksour – by Abdel Wahab Abou Saleh ;

A Summary of the Archaeological Discoveries in the Homs Gap by a Syrian-Lebanese-Spanish Mission (2004-2010) – by Maya Haïdar-Boustani, Juan José Ibáñez and Michel Al-Maqdissi ;

Palmyra. 30 Years of Syrian-German-Austrian Archaeological Research (1981-2010) – by Andreas Schmidt-Colinet, Khaled Al-Assaad (†), and Waleed Al-Assaad ;

The Nymphaeum in Apamea – by Andreas Schmidt-Colinet ;

Idlib: Tell El-Kerk. A Neolithic Mega Site in the Province of Idlib – by Akita Tsunematsu ;

Excavations at Tell Mardikh - Ebla 2004-2010: The Temples of EB IVA-B and the Royal Citadel of MB I-II – by Paolo Matthiae ;

The Archaeological Park of Ebla. A Long-Term Plan for the Site and its Region – by Frances Pinnock ;

Tell Afis: From the Late Bronze to the Iron Age – by Stefania Mazzoni ;

Tell Mastuma: Rise and Fall of an Iron Age Rural Settlement in Northwest Syria – by Shinichi Nishiyama ;

Lattakieh: Tell Nahr El-Arab (Al-Shamiyeh) – by Ahmad Deb ;

Tell Kazel - Sumur and the Kingdom of Amurru – by Leila Badre ;

The Syrian-French Archaeological Mission of Ras Shamra – Ugarit – by Valérie Matoïan ;

Archaeological Excavations at Tell Tweini – Syrian Mission (Field B) – by Massoud Badawi ;

Archaeological Site of Amrit. Excavation Results, Seasons 2003-2011 – by Yasser Youssef ;

Raqqa/Deir Ez-Zor: Resafa-Sergiupolis/Rusafat Hisham. Pilgrim City and Caliphal Residence. A Multidisciplinary Approach for Reconstructing the Development of the City – by Dorothée Sack and Martin Gussone ;

Emergency Excavations of Hwejet Al-Halaweh, Raqqa Governorate (2011-2012) – by Ayham Al-Fakhri and Yarob Al-Abdallah ;

The Necropolises of Halabiya-Zenobia – by Sylvie Blétry ;

Syrian Excavations in the Byzantine City of Tell Al-Kasra, 2006-2010 – by Yarob Al-Abdallah ;

Tell Halula (Euphrates Valley, Syria). New Research Conducted between 2011 and 2015 – by Miquel Molist, Maria Bofill, Chiara Marchiori, Anabel Ortiz and Anna Gómez ;

Published Abstracts ;

Final Conclusions and Remarks – by Jeanine Abdul Massih and Shinichi Nishiyama

Jeanine Abdul Massih is professor in art and archaeology at the Lebanese University. She specializes in Hellenistic and Roman settlements, town planning, and architecture. ;
Shinichi Nishiyama is associate professor at Chubu University, Japan. He specializes in the Iron Age culture of the ancient Near East, especially in the northern Levant. ;
Hanan Charaf is assistant professor in art and archaeology at the Lebanese University. She specializes in Near Eastern history and archaeology during the Bronze and Iron Ages in the central Levant. ;
Ahmad Deb holds a PhD in archaeology and is currently Head of the Department of the Historical Buildings and Archaeological Documentation at the Directorate General of Antiquities of Syria.

• Edited by Jeanine Abdul Massih
• Edited by Shinichi Nishiyama
• Associate editor Hanan Charaf
• Associate editor Ahmad Deb