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Tal Abu Tbeirah

Coordinates: 30°48′47″N 46°40′43″E / 30.81306°N 46.67861°E / 30.81306; 46.67861
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Tal Abu Tbeirah
Tal Abu Tbeirah is located in Iraq
Tal Abu Tbeirah
Shown within Iraq
LocationDhi Qar Governorate, Iraq
Coordinates30°48′47″N 46°40′43″E / 30.81306°N 46.67861°E / 30.81306; 46.67861
Typesettlement
History
Founded3rd millennium BC
PeriodsEarly Dynastic, Akkadian, Ur III
Site notes
Excavation dates2012-present
ArchaeologistsFranco D'Agostino
ConditionRuined
OwnershipPublic
Public accessYes

Tal Abu Tbeirah is an ancient Near East archaeological site about 7 kilometers south of modern Nasariyah in Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq, near the Euphrates river and Lake Hammar. It is located 15 about kilometers east of the ancient city of Ur. Remains at the site date mainly to the Early Dynastic, Akkadian, and Ur III periods. The small and now largely destroyed 3rd millennium BC site of Tell Ahaimer lies about 1 kilometer to the northwest. During the occupation period of Tal Abu Tbeirah in the 3rd millennium BC the Persian Gulf extended much further north and the site had a brackish marshy environment. The few cuneiform tablet fragments found so far are too damaged to read. The ancient name of the site is still unknown though Kiabrig, Ĝešbanda/Nišbanda, and Enegi have been suggested.[1]

Archaeology

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The site, roughly circular, is about 45 hectares in area with a maximum height of 4.3 meters (north-east sector) and is divided into four sectors by ancient water channels, primarily an ancient canal that passes northwest to southeast and feed the harbor in Area 5. These channels now hold modern roads, one running north to south and the other north-west to south-east. The badly salinized surface has been disturbed by military trenches and pits, graves, and oil and gas exploitation (including a pipeline running north to south through the site). The northwest portion of the site is completely missing due to soil being exploited for industrial use.[2]

In 2008, as part of a program between Italian and Iraqi agencies a short survey of the site was conducted as part of a teaching program with the University of Dhi Qar, resulting in an excavation permit being signed in 2010, in anticipation of future growth in oil exploration and the projected growth of Nasariyah into that area. In 2011 a longer survey was conducted. Since 2012, a joint team of Italian and Iraqi archaeologists led by Franco D'Agostino have been excavating at Tal Abu Tbeirah.[3] In the 1st season three trenches were excavated, mainly to examine a large building in the south-east area seen on imagery. Graves of the Akkadian and late Early Dynastic periods were also excavated. One of the Akkadian period graves (Grave 100), in Area 2, from the middle 3rd millennium BC, was high status based on grave goods. Finds included three bronze vessels, toiletries and three carnelian beads from the Indus Valley. One grave included a complete dog skeleton, a clay boat model, and a jar with a stylized bull-head.[4][5][6] The 2nd season, also in 2012, lasted only 23 days due to weather conditions. More graves were examined with a calibrated radiocarbon date of 2470-2295 BC determined for one and 2575-2290 BC for another. Work continued on the structure noted on imagery (Building A), which had three phases, was centered by a 80 square meter courtyard, and was cut by multiple graves. In Phase 1 the courtyard contained a tannur in which were found 3 beakers. Finds there included a copper alloy chisel and a large perforated potter's wheel.[7][8][9] In the 2013 season an equid burial was found. DNA analysis showed that the maternal parent was a donkey.[10][11] The following seasons continued the excavations with most of the focus on southeast sector with the 600 square meter Building A and the graves which cut it (Area 1).[12] In the seventh season Area 6 was opened on highest point on the mound, the northeast sector, by enlarging Iraqi military trenches. Two inscribed half bricks of Ur III ruler Amar-Sin (c. 2046-2037 BC) were found. Area 5 in the northwest, heavily damaged by recent activity, was opened to explore the harbor area. The harbor, with ramparts and docks, had a central basin of 400 square meters and boreholes were made to explore its history.[13][14][15][16]

"Amar-Suena, the one called by name by the god Enlil in Nippur, supporter of the temple of the god Enlil, mighty man, king of Ur, king of the four quarters."[17]

The 8th and 9th (2018 and 2019) seasons focused primarily on geoarchaeology. Excavation did reveal some graves (Area 6) from the early 2nd millennium BC. In one of the graves, looted in antiquity, a light green stone Old Babylonian period seal was found.[18][19]

In area 2 Building B and Building C were found.[20]

History

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The site was occupied from the Jemdet Nasr period through the Ur III period. Substantial occupation came during the Early Dynastic and Akkadian periods, with a much reduced presence in the Ur III period.[15] The city appears to have been a harbor and trading center associated with Ur in the later half of the 3rd Millennium BC. During these periods the city was about 30 kilometers from the gulf.[21][22] A small amount of remains from the Old Babylonian period were observed by the excavators.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ [1]F. D’Agostino and A. Greco, "Abu Tbeirah. A philological and epigraphic point of view", in L. Romano and F. D’Agostino (eds), Abu Tbeirah Excavations I. Area 1 Last Phase and Building A – Phase 1 (Rome), Sapienza Università Editrice, pp. 465-477, 2019 ISBN 9788893771085
  2. ^ Romano, Licia, and Franco D'Agostino, "Rediscovering Sumer. Excavations at Abu Tbeirah, Southern Iraq", BAR INTERNATIONAL SERIES 2690, Archaeopress, pp. 163-167, 2014 ISBN 978-1-4073-1326-9
  3. ^ Ghanim, Franco D’Agostino–Ali Khadem, and Licia Romano, "Abu Tbeirah. Preliminary Report of the 2012–2013 Campaigns", Proceedings, 9th ICAANE 3, pp. 45-55, 2014
  4. ^ [2]Alhaique, Francesca, Licia Romano, and Franco D’Agostino, "Ur-gir1 and the Other Dogs from Abu Tberah (Southern Iraq): Considerations on the Role of Dogs in Sumer during the 3rd Millennium BCE", Dogs, Past and Present, pp. 184-188, 2023
  5. ^ Italian Dig in Iraq Discovers Bronze Age “Tomb of the Prince” – BibblicalArchaeology – March 27, 2012
  6. ^ Franco D'Agostino et al, "Abu Tbeirah. Preliminary report of the first campaign (January–March 2012)", Rivista degli studi orientali, Nuova Serie, vol. 84, Fasc. 1/4, pp. 17–34, 2011
  7. ^ Franco D'Agostino et al, "Abu Tbeirah. Preliminary report of the second campaign (October–December 2012)", Rivista degli studi orientali, vol. 86(1), pp. 69–91, 2013
  8. ^ D'Agostino, Franco, "Ti ricordi, Pietro? In margine alla prima campagna di scavi ad Abu Tbeirah, Iraq meridionale", Scritti in onore di Pietro Mander, hrsg. v. Palmiro Notizia, Francesco Pomponio (AION. Rivista del Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici e del Dipartimento di Studi e Ricerche su Africa e Paesi Arabi), pp. 41-46, 2014
  9. ^ Romano, Licia, "A Fragment of a Potter’s Wheel from Abu Tbeirah", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 105, no. 2, pp. 220–234, 2015
  10. ^ Franco D'Agostino et al, "Abu Theirah, Nasiriyah (Southern Iraq): Preliminary report on the 2013 excavation campaign", ISIMU 13, pp. 209–221, 2016
  11. ^ [3] Alhaique, Francesca, et al., "A Sumerian equid burial from Abu Tbeirah (Southern Iraq)", Atti dell'8° Convegno Nazionale di Archeozoologia 1, pp. 255-258, 2019
  12. ^ [4] L. Romano and T. al-Hosseini, "Building A - Phase 1", In: L. Romano and F. D’Agostino (eds), Abu Tbeirah Excavations I. Area 1 Last Phase and Building A – Phase 1 (Rome), Sapienza Università Editrice, pp. 189-309, 2019 ISBN 9788893771085
  13. ^ Forti, Luca, et al., "Depositional Environments and Climatic Events in the Mesopotamian Plain: the Sumerian Site of Abu Tbeirah", Abstract book of 34° Meeting IAS. International Association of Sedimentologist, 2019
  14. ^ D’Agostino, Franco and Licia Romano. "Excavations at Abu Tbeirah, Southern Iraq", in Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, 30 April-4 May 2012, University of Warsaw, 2, ed. Piotr Bielinski et al, Wiesbaden: Harrassow, pp. 189–204, 2014 ISBN 978-3447101745
  15. ^ a b D’Agostino, F., Romano, L., "Seven excavation campaigns at Abu Tbeirah", In: Otto, A., Herles, M., Kaniuth, K., Korn, L., Heidenreich, A. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East: vol. 2: Field Reports, Islamic Archaeology. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany, pp. 69–80, 2020 ISBN 978-3447113670
  16. ^ D’Agostino, F., Romano, L., "Two new inscribed bricks from Abu Tbeirah (southern Iraq).", In: Arkhipov, I., Kogan, L., Koslova, N. (Eds.), The Third Millennium. Studies in Early Mesopotamia and Syria in Honor of Walter Sommerfeld and Manfred Krebernik. Series: Cuneiform Monographs, vol. 50. Brill, Leiden, Boston, pp. 259–269, 2020
  17. ^ Frayne, Douglas, "Amar-Suena E3/2.1.3", Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC), Toronto: University of Toronto Press, pp. 235-284, 1997 ISBN 9781442657069
  18. ^ [5] Romano, Licia, and Franco D'Agostino, "Abu Tbeirah: Preliminary report on the 2018-2019 excavations", Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Volume 2, 06-09 April 2021, Bologna. Vol. 2. Harrassowitz, pp. 549-558, 2023 ISBN 978-3-447-11873-6
  19. ^ Romano, Licia, "Paso Doble: Note on an Early Old Babylonian Seal Found at Abu Tbeirah", Revue d’assyriologie et d’archéologie orientale 115.1, pp. 41–50, 2021
  20. ^ Montorfani, Maria Virginia, "Vegetable plaiting materials from the Site of Abu Tbeirah (Southern Iraq, third millennium BC): experimental approach", EXARC Journal 1, 2019
  21. ^ Archaeologists Glance Into Fox Burrow in Iraq, Find 4,000-year-old Sumerian Port
  22. ^ D’Agostino, F., Romano, L., "The Harbor of Abu Tbeirah and the Southern Mesopotamian Landscape in the 3rd Mill. BC: Preliminary Considerations, RSO 91: 33-45, 2018
  23. ^ [6] Forti, Luca, et al. "The paleoenvironment and depositional context of the Sumerian site of Abu Tbeirah (Nasiriyah, southern Mesopotamia, Iraq)." Quaternary Research, pp. 1-19, 2022

Further reading

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  • [7]Alhaique, Francesca, Licia Romano, and Franco D'Agostino, "Between sacred and profane: human–animal relationships at Abu Tbeirah (southern Iraq) in the third millennium BC", Fierce lions, angry mice and fat-tailed sheep: Animal encounters in the ancient Near East, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research University of Cambridge, pp. 63–75, 2021
  • Cereda, S., Romano, L., "Peering into the dusty corners: micro-debris analysis and use of space at the site of Abu Tbeirah (Nasiriyah, Iraq)", Iraq 80, pp. 79–111, 2018
  • [8] Festa, Giulia, et al., "Sumerian pottery technology studied through neutron diffraction and chemometrics at Abu Tbeirah (Iraq)", Geosciences 9.2, pp. 74, 2019
  • D’Agostino, F. and Romano, L., "Abu Tbeirah’s Craft Area NE: A Preliminary Survey", Ash-Sharq 1, pp. 131–154, 2017
  • D'Agostino, Franco, and Licia Romano, "Abu Tbeirah: un emporio marittimo della seconda metà del III millennio aC", Tesori dell'Iraq. Le Missioni Archeologiche Italiane nella terra tra i due Fiumi, Treccani, pp. 36-39, 2023
  • D’Agostino, F./Romano, L., "Excavation at Abu Tbeirah, Southern Iraq", P. Bieliński et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the 8th ICAANE 30rd April–4th May 2012, University of Warsaw, Wiesbaden, pp. 51–65, 2014
  • D'Agostino, Franco, and Licia Romano, "Rediscovering and revitalizing the history of Iraq: the excavations at Abu Tbeirah", Strategie e Programmazione della Conservazione e Trasmissibilità del Patrimonio Culturale. Edizioni Scientifiche Fidei Signa, pp. 212-221, 2013
  • Giaccari, Matteo, et al., "Life in the cradle of Civilization: preliminary results from an isotopic study on human and animal remains to explore mobility at Abu Tbeirah (Iraq)", Basis Annual Meeting 2024 April 25 & 26 Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2024
  • Jotheri, J., "The Environment and Landscape Archaeology of Abu Tbeirah Region", in L. Romano and F. D’Agostino (eds.), Abu Tbeirah Excavations I. Area 1 Last Phase and Building A – Phase 1 (Rome), pp. 49–58, 2019 ISBN 9788893771085
  • [9]L. Romano, "Abu Tbeirah and Area 1 in the Second Half. of the 3rd Mill. BC", in L. Romano and F. D’Agostino (eds.), Abu Tbeirah Excavations I. Area 1 Last Phase and Building A – Phase 1 (Rome), pp. 59–92, 2019 ISBN 9788893771085
  • Romano, Licia, and Franco D'Agostino, "Un sigillo paleo-babilonese con scena di danza da Abu Tbeirah (Iraq Meridionale)", SERIES MINOR, pp. 379-392, 2022
  • Romano, Licia, Alessandra Celant, and Maria Virginia Montorfani, "Reed-swamps in the Sumerian material culture: archaeological, archaeobotanical and experimental insights from the Abu Tbeirah excavations" in Southern Iraq's Marshes: Their Environment and Conservation, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 33–54, 2021 ISBN 9783030662370
  • [10]Romano, Licia, "Heading West: Considerations on grave orientation in 3rd Millennium BC Mesopotamia", TRACES IN TIME 10, 2020
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