Habuba Kabira

Habuba Kabira (also Hubaba Kabire and Habuba Kebira) is an ancient Near East archaeological site on the west bank of the Euphrates River in Aleppo Governorate, Syria, founded during the later part of the Uruk period in the later part of the 4th millennium BC. It was about 1300 kilometers from the southern Mesopotamia city of Uruk, five kilometers north of Tell Halawa, ten kilometers south of Mumbaqat, and eight kilometers upstream from Jebel Aruda. The site was excavated as part of a rescue archaeology effort due to the construction of the Tabqa Dam and is now mostly underwater.^[1] The Habuba Kabira complex consists of two sites

• Habuba Kabira South (also Habuba Kabira Süd), a protoliterate flat site Lower Town with the adjacent acropolis of Tell Qanas (also Tall Qannas or Tell Kannas) Upper Town. It was founded on virgin soil in the [Uruk period|[Late Uruk period]] and was occupied for around 120 years before being abandoned.

• Habuba Kabira North, a high mound which was founded in the Uruk period and then occupied through the following Early Bronze and Middle Bronze Ages before being abandoned.^[2]

Habuba Kabira

Shown within Syria
Location	Syria
Region	Aleppo Governorate
Coordinates	36.151446°N 38.061950°E / 36.151446; 38.061950
History
Periods	Late Chalcolithic, Early Bronze, Middle Bronze
Site notes
Excavation dates	1969-1975
Archaeologists	Ernst Heinrich, Eva Strommenger, André Finet

Habuba Kabira North and Tell Kannas showed indications of some earlier use in the form of protoliterate clay tokens dating to the 7th through 4th millennium BC.

History

Habuba Kabira as a whole was in use through the Late Chacolithic period into the Middle Bronze period. Habuba Kabira South and its acropolis Tell Kannas were built in the later part of the 4th millennium BC as part of the Uruk Expansion and abandoned after about 120 years.^[3] Occupation at Habuba Kabira North began in the Uruk period and continued in the Middle Bronze age.^[4][5]

There were also several other late Uruk enclaves and outposts in this general area. They include Arslantepe (attested at level VIA), Jebel Aruda (8 kilometers north near Tell es-Sweyhat), Tell Sheikh Hassan, Hacınebi Tepe, and Tepecik (Elazığ Province, attested at level 3).^[6] Godin Tepe is a similar site in Iran.^[7]

Archaeology

Habuba Kabira Süd before the area was flooded by the Tabqa Dam project

The low site of Hubaba Kubira South covers an area of about 18 hectares with the area encompassed by the city wall being about 10 hectares. The mound of Tell Qanas is adjacent.^[6] Hubaba Kubira North is about 230 meters in diameter and rises to about 14 meters above the plain. The east and north slopes of the mound are steep while the west and south have gentle slopes.^[5] It was first recorded by during surveys in 1963 and 1964 by Abdel Kader Rihaoui and Maurits N. van Loon.^[8]

Uruk-period beveled rim bowl, ca. 3400–3200 BCE, from Habuba Kabira in Syria

The Hubaba Kubira was excavated for 9 seasons from 1969 to 1975 by a Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft team led by Ernst Heinrich and Eva Strommenger. Hubaba Kubira South was found to be a planned settlement with a three meter wide mudbrick town wall with regular towers and two gates. The town was laid out around a north-south axis with paved streets and drainage systems. The western portion of the wall was 600 meters long and a small outer wall was added late in the occupation. A walled area in the center held cultic and administrative buildings. South of the town wall there was an irrigated agricultural area.^{[9][10][11][12]} The site had at least three occupation layers, dated to the Late Chacolithic (LC 4-5) and covering about 120 years, corresponding to the Uruk V and IV periods. The first occupation, founded on virgin soil, was about 6 hectares in extent.^[13] In the next phases it grew to its final extent which, including extramural habitation north and south of the wall, covered 22 hectares.^[3]

Only the southeastern portion of Hubaba Kubira North was excavated as the rest of the mound was covered with a modern cemetery. A Early Bronze IV pottery kiln was found at Habuba Kabira North. Excavation found 20 occupation levels with levels 17-20 being dated to Middle Bronze IIA period.^[14][15] Small finds included clay tokens.^{[16][17][18][19][20]} Three Uruk V period (c. 3500-3350 BC) clay tablets, called "numerical tablets" or "impressed tablets", were found at the site.^[21]

Tell Qanas, the citadel area of Habuba Kubira South, was excavated beginning in 1967 by a Belgian team led by André Finet. It was occupied from from roughly 3700 BC to 3100 BC. Several large buildings were found including the tripartite plan North Temple and South Temple interior niches and basins and a large administrative building with attached magazine containing numerous storage jars. Many jar stoppers sealed with cylinder seals were found.^{[22][23][24][25]} About 58 protoliterate clay tokens were found at the site.^[26]

As at Jebel Aruda and similar middle and late Uruk period sites, despite extensive excavation no Uruk period burials were found. One intrusive Early Bronze 1 tomb was found.^[27]

• 
  Kabira reconstruction, Berlin Museum
• 
  Berlin Museum
• 
  Berlin Museum
• 
  Berlin Museum
• 
  Berlin Museum
• 
  Stone cone mosaic from Habuba Kabira (reconstruction)
• 
  Stone cone mosaic detail

See also

• Cities of the ancient Near East
• History of Mesopotamia
• Hacınebi Tepe

References

1. Freedman, David Noel, and John M. Lundquist. "Archeological Reports from the Tabqa Dam Project: Euphrates Valley, Syria." The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, vol. 44, 1977, pp. iii–182
2. Dornemann, Rudolph H., "Salvage Excavations at Tell Hadidi in the Euphrates River Valley", The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 49–59, 1985
3. Fuensanta, Jesús Gil and Salazar, Juan Manuel Gonzalez, "A Few Thoughts about Late Chalcolithic Architecture and the Uruk Expansion in the Middle Euphrates Area", Time and History in the Ancient Near East: Proceedings of the 56th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Barcelona, July 26th-30th, 2010, edited by Lluis Feliu, J. Llop, A. Millet Albà and Joaquin Sanmartín, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 657-664, 2013
4. Lisa Cooper, "The demise and regeneration of Bronze Age urban centers in the Euphrates Valley of Syria," in After Collapse: The Regeneration of Complex Societies, ed by Glenn M. Schwartz and John J. Nicholas, pp. 18-37, 2006
5. Heusch, Jan-Chnstoph, "Tall Habuba Kabira im 3. und 2. Jahrtausend: Die Entwicklung der Baustmktor", in Le Moyen Ewhrate: Zone de contacts et d'échanges, edited by J. Margueron., Strasbourg: E.J. Brill, pp. 159-78, 1980
6. Algaze, Guillermo, et al., "The Uruk expansion: Cross-cultural exchange in early Mesopotamian civilization [with comments and reply]", Current Anthropology 30.5, pp. 571-608, 1989
7. Giorgi Leon Kavtaradze, "On the Importance of the Caucasian Chronology for the Foundation of the Common Near Eastern – East European Chronological System", , , 2012
8. van Loon, Maurits N., "The Tabqa Reservoir Survey 1964", Damascus: Direction Générale des Antiquités et des Musées, 1967
9. Heinrich, E. et al., "Bericht iiber die von der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft mit Stiftung Volkswagenwerk im Euphrattal bei Aleppo begonnenen archaologischen Untersuchungen.", Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 101, pp. 27-49, 1969
10. Eva Strommenger, Habuba Kabira: Eine Stadt vor 5000 Jahren : Ausgrabungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft am Euphrat in Habuba Kabira, Syrien (Sendschrift der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft), von Zabern, 1980, ISBN 3-8053-0449-8
11. Strommenger E., "Habuba Kabira Sud", Annales Archéologiques Syriennes 25, pp. 155-164, 1975
12. Strommenger E., "Ausgrabungen der DOG in Habuba Kabira", Annual of the American School of Oriental Research 44, pp. 63-78, 1977
13. Algaze, Guillermo, "Early Mesopotamian Urbanism: How?", in Ancient Mesopotamia at the Dawn of Civilization: The Evolution of an Urban Landscape, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 64-92, 2008
14. Heinrich, Emst, E. Strommenger, D.R. Frank, W. Ludwig, D.Sürenhagen, E. Toppenwein, H. Schrnid, J-C Heusch, K. Kohlmeyer, D. Machule, M. Wafler, T. Rhode, "Vierter vorlaufiger Berischt die von der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft in Habuba Kabira und in Mumbaqat . Mitteilun~ender Deutschen Orient-Geslfeschafl 106, pp. 5-52, 1974
15. Schwartz, Glenn M., et al., "Excavation and Survey in the Jabbul Plain, Western Syria: The Umm El-Marra Project 1996-1997", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 104, no. 3, pp. 419–62, 2000
16. Friberg, Jöran. "Preliterate counting and accounting in the Middle East: A constructively critical review of Schmandt-Besserat's Before Writing" Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, vol. 89, no. 5-6, pp. 477–489, 1994
17. Heinrich, E. et al., "Zweiter vorlaufiger Bericht tiber die von der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft mit Mitteln der Stiftung Volkswagenwerk in Habuba Kabira und in Mumbaqat unternommenen archaologischen Untersuchungen (Herbstkampagne 1969)", Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 102, pp. 27-78., 1970
18. Heinrich, E. et al., "Dritter vorlaufiger Bericht iiber die von der Deutschen Orien-Gesellschaft mit der Stiftung Volkswagenwerk in Habuba Kabira und in Mumbaqat unternommenen archaologischen Untersuchungen (Herbstkampagne 1970).", Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 103, pp. 5-58, 1971
19. Heinrich, E. et al., "Vierter vorlaufiger Bericht iiber die von der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft mit Mitteln der Stiftung Volkswagenwerk in Habuba Kabira (Habuba Kabira, Herbstkampagnen 1971 und 1972 sowie Testgrabung Frtihjahr 1973) und in Mumbaqat (Tall Munbaqa, Herbstkampagne 1971) unternommenen archaologischen Untersuchungen.", Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 105, pp. 5-52, 1973
20. Heinrich, E. et al., "Vierter vorlaufiger Bericht tiber die von der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft mit Mitteln der Stiftung Volkswagen werk in Habuba Kabira (Habuba Kabira, Herbstkampagnen 1971 und 1972 sowie Testgrabung Friihjahr 1973) und in Mumbaqat (Tall Munbaqa, Herbstkampagne 1971) unternommenen archaologischen Untersuchungen (Fortsetsung)" Mitteilungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesell- schaft 106, pp. 53-97, 1974
21. Schmandt-Besserat, Denise, "Before Writing: From Counting to Cuneiform", Volume 1, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1992 ISBN 9780292707832
22. Finet, A., "Les Fouilles du Secteur Ouest au Tell Kannâs", Archiv fur Orientforschung 24, pp. 171–175, 1973
23. Finet A., "Les Temples Sumériens du Tell Kannâs", Syria 52, pp. 157-174, 1975
24. Finet, A., "Bilan Provisoire des Fouilles Belges du Tell Kannâs", The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 44, pp. 79–96, 1977
25. Finet, A., "Lorsque la royauté descendit du ciel..." Les fouilles belges du Tell Kannâs sur l'Euphrate en Syrie", Morlanwelz: Musée royal de Mariemont, 1982
26. Elma, Kadiriya, "A Typological Study of the Calculi Collection of the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels", Terra Incognita 8, pp. 67-86, 2016
27. Fuensanta, Jesús Gil and Crivelli, Eduardo, "Where are the Uruk Necropoles? Regional Innovation or Change in Tradition for Northern Mesopotamia", Tradition and Innovation in the Ancient Near East: Proceedings of the 57th Rencontre Assyriologique International at Rome, 4-8 July 2011, edited by Alfonso Archi, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 81-90, 2015

Further reading

• Heinrich, Ernst, E. Strommenger, D.R. Frank, W. Ludwig, D. Sürenhagen, E. Toppenvwein, H. Schmid, J-C Heusch, K. Kohlmeyer, D. Machule, M. Wiifler, T. Rhode, "Vierter vorlaufiger Bericht über die von der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft in Habuba Kabira und in Mumbaqat", Mitteiluneen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschafl 105, pp. 5-68, 1973
• W. Ludwig, "Mass, Sitte und Technik des Bauens in Habuba-Kabira Süd", en Le Moyen Euphrate, zone de contactes et d’échanges, Leyden, Brill, pp. 63-74, 1980
• Kohlmeyer, K., "Houses in Habuba Kabira-South: spatial organization and planning of late Uruk residential architecture, in Houses and households in ancient Mesopotamia, ed. K.R. Veenhof, Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, pp. 89-103, 1996
• Kohlmeyer, K., "Die Stadt Habuba Kabira-sud: Bauten Und Graber (Wissenschaftliche Veroffentlichungen Der Deutschen Orient-gesellschaft, 159)", Harrassowitz Verlag, 2021 ISBN 978-3447116664
• Pernicka, E., T. Rehren, and S. Schmitt-Dtrecker, "Late Uruk Silver Production by Cupellation at Habuba Kabira, Syria", Der Anschnitt 8, pp. 123—134, 1988
• Uwe Sievertsen, "Buttress-recess Architecture and Status Symbolism in the Ubaid Period", in Beyond the Ubaid: Transformation and Integration in the Late Prehistoric Societies of the Middle East Robert A. Carter and Graham Philip, eds, pp. 201-226, 2010
• Strommenger, Eva, et al., "Ausgrabungen in Habuba Kabira", Harrassowitz Verlag, 2014 ISBN 978-3-447-11666-4
• Eva Strommenger, et al., "Die Kleinfunde von Habuba Kabira-Süd", Harrassowitz Verlag, 2016 ISBN 978-3-447-10246-9
• Strommenger, Eva, "Habuba Kabira am syrischen Euphrat: Grabungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 1969-1975", Antike Welt 8.1, pp. 11-20, 1977
• Dietrich Surenhagen, Keramikproduktion in Habuba Kabira-Sud: Unters. zur Keramikproduktion innerhalb d. spat-urukzeitl. Siedlung Habuba Kabira-Sud in Nordsyrien, Hessling, 1978, ISBN 3-7769-0190-X
• Surenhagen,D., "Untersuchungenzur Keramik-produktioninnerhalbderSpat-Urukzeitlichen SiedlungHabubaKabira-Sudin Nordsyrien",Acta praehistoricaet archaeologica 5, 6, 1974/75
• Trokay, Madeleine, "Les cônes d'argile du Tell Kannâs", Syria 58-1-2, pp. 149-171, 1981
• Vallet, R., "Habuba Kebira, ou la naissance de l'urbanisme", Paléorient, 22(2), pp. 45-76, 1996
• van den Driesch, A., "Faunal Remains from Habuba Kabira in Syria,” in Archaeozoology of the Near East. Edited by H. Buitenhuis and A. T. Clason, Leiden: Universal Book Services, pp. 52–59, 1993

External links

• DOG site for German dig