Preliminary excavation report of Area C South (Dolmen 535 and Cave 1012; Season 2018) of Jebel al... more Preliminary excavation report of Area C South (Dolmen 535 and Cave 1012; Season 2018) of Jebel al-Mutawwaq
The paper is based on the results of the third excavation campaigns carried out in 2017, covering... more The paper is based on the results of the third excavation campaigns carried out in 2017, covering areas A and B in the central region of the site. In particular, it preliminarily presents the architectural features and findings from current excavations: Area B, on the top of Mound B and Area A, at the southern base of Mound A. The excavations of the Italian Archaeological Expedition showed that the site was first settled during the Ubaid Period; evidence from the Late Uruk, Jemdet Nasr and Early Dynastic I periods has also been discovered in the Lower City, while on the top of Mound A, evidence of remains of the last phase of occupation of the city dated to the Neo-Sumerian Period (Gudea’s kingdom) is registered.
Tell Zurghul, the ancient Sumerian Nigin in the ancient State of Lagash, is currently excavated b... more Tell Zurghul, the ancient Sumerian Nigin in the ancient State of Lagash, is currently excavated by a joint Italian archaeological expedition of Sapienza University of Rome and University of Perugia since 2014. The paper presents the results of the most recent excavation campaigns carried out in 2016 and 2017 covering three areas (A, B, and D) in the central region of the site and a survey carried out along the western edge of the city (Area C). Recent agreements with the Department of Geology of both Perugia and Rome aimed at the study of the hydro-geological morphology of the site with special focus on the investigation of the areas once covered by water, i.e. the presence of marshes and canals, as the same Gudea of Lagash mentions in his inscriptions. Furthermore, the study also encompasses the analysis of the ancient shape of the city across time, from the Ubaid to the late third/beginning of the second Millennium BC.
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 18, No 4, (2018), pp. 213-217., 2018
In memory of my Father, Vito Francesco Polcaro:
Statistics alone does not give us proof of the i... more In memory of my Father, Vito Francesco Polcaro:
Statistics alone does not give us proof of the intentionality of an astronomical alignment. It only gives us the probability that the alignment under consideration is random. The main proof of an intentional astronomical content in a cultural asset is always the archaeo- logical and historical one. Thus, Archaeoastronomy cannot be considered as an autonomous discipline.
The Spanish-Italian Expedition to Jebel al-Mutawwaq. Preliminary report of excavations of Dolmen ... more The Spanish-Italian Expedition to Jebel al-Mutawwaq. Preliminary report of excavations of Dolmen 534.
E. Gallo (ed.), Conceptualizing Urban Experiences: Tell es-Sultan and Tall al-Ḥammām Early Bronze cities across the Jordan (Rome «La Sapienza» Studies on the Archaeology of Palestine & Transjordan, 13). Rome: Rome «La Sapienza» Expedition to Palestine & Jordan 2019., 2019
Pearls of the Past. Studies on Near Eastern Art and Archaeology in Honour of Frances Pinnock, 2019
The article presents an analysis of the applied figurines of serpents on Early Bronze Age vessels... more The article presents an analysis of the applied figurines of serpents on Early Bronze Age vessels in Southern Levant, particularly related to the Transjordan area.
L'articolo ripercorre i contatti culturali e commerciali fra Egitto e Levante Meridionale durante... more L'articolo ripercorre i contatti culturali e commerciali fra Egitto e Levante Meridionale durante il IV millennio a.C.
Jordan is rich in cultural and natural heritage and home to renowned touristic destinations, as w... more Jordan is rich in cultural and natural heritage and home to renowned touristic destinations, as well as to important archaeological projects. However, cultural and natural assets are threatened by the risk of damage, destruction and disappearance, due to lack of conservation, maintenance and safeguards, uncontrolled urban development, and looting. These threats to sites of historical and cultural significance make raising awareness of the value of cultural heritage an urgent priority for building civic pride and the economic potential of sustainable exploitation of cultural assets. This article reviews current strategies for the protection of cultural heritage in Jordan and reports on a new Italian-American-Jordanian project, which aims at developing a new regional archaeological museum for the Governorate of Madaba, central Jordan, which may serve as an educational tool and a springboard for local development and sustainable tourism.
Preliminary excavation report of Area C South (Dolmen 535 and Cave 1012; Season 2018) of Jebel al... more Preliminary excavation report of Area C South (Dolmen 535 and Cave 1012; Season 2018) of Jebel al-Mutawwaq
The paper is based on the results of the third excavation campaigns carried out in 2017, covering... more The paper is based on the results of the third excavation campaigns carried out in 2017, covering areas A and B in the central region of the site. In particular, it preliminarily presents the architectural features and findings from current excavations: Area B, on the top of Mound B and Area A, at the southern base of Mound A. The excavations of the Italian Archaeological Expedition showed that the site was first settled during the Ubaid Period; evidence from the Late Uruk, Jemdet Nasr and Early Dynastic I periods has also been discovered in the Lower City, while on the top of Mound A, evidence of remains of the last phase of occupation of the city dated to the Neo-Sumerian Period (Gudea’s kingdom) is registered.
Tell Zurghul, the ancient Sumerian Nigin in the ancient State of Lagash, is currently excavated b... more Tell Zurghul, the ancient Sumerian Nigin in the ancient State of Lagash, is currently excavated by a joint Italian archaeological expedition of Sapienza University of Rome and University of Perugia since 2014. The paper presents the results of the most recent excavation campaigns carried out in 2016 and 2017 covering three areas (A, B, and D) in the central region of the site and a survey carried out along the western edge of the city (Area C). Recent agreements with the Department of Geology of both Perugia and Rome aimed at the study of the hydro-geological morphology of the site with special focus on the investigation of the areas once covered by water, i.e. the presence of marshes and canals, as the same Gudea of Lagash mentions in his inscriptions. Furthermore, the study also encompasses the analysis of the ancient shape of the city across time, from the Ubaid to the late third/beginning of the second Millennium BC.
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 18, No 4, (2018), pp. 213-217., 2018
In memory of my Father, Vito Francesco Polcaro:
Statistics alone does not give us proof of the i... more In memory of my Father, Vito Francesco Polcaro:
Statistics alone does not give us proof of the intentionality of an astronomical alignment. It only gives us the probability that the alignment under consideration is random. The main proof of an intentional astronomical content in a cultural asset is always the archaeo- logical and historical one. Thus, Archaeoastronomy cannot be considered as an autonomous discipline.
The Spanish-Italian Expedition to Jebel al-Mutawwaq. Preliminary report of excavations of Dolmen ... more The Spanish-Italian Expedition to Jebel al-Mutawwaq. Preliminary report of excavations of Dolmen 534.
E. Gallo (ed.), Conceptualizing Urban Experiences: Tell es-Sultan and Tall al-Ḥammām Early Bronze cities across the Jordan (Rome «La Sapienza» Studies on the Archaeology of Palestine & Transjordan, 13). Rome: Rome «La Sapienza» Expedition to Palestine & Jordan 2019., 2019
Pearls of the Past. Studies on Near Eastern Art and Archaeology in Honour of Frances Pinnock, 2019
The article presents an analysis of the applied figurines of serpents on Early Bronze Age vessels... more The article presents an analysis of the applied figurines of serpents on Early Bronze Age vessels in Southern Levant, particularly related to the Transjordan area.
L'articolo ripercorre i contatti culturali e commerciali fra Egitto e Levante Meridionale durante... more L'articolo ripercorre i contatti culturali e commerciali fra Egitto e Levante Meridionale durante il IV millennio a.C.
Jordan is rich in cultural and natural heritage and home to renowned touristic destinations, as w... more Jordan is rich in cultural and natural heritage and home to renowned touristic destinations, as well as to important archaeological projects. However, cultural and natural assets are threatened by the risk of damage, destruction and disappearance, due to lack of conservation, maintenance and safeguards, uncontrolled urban development, and looting. These threats to sites of historical and cultural significance make raising awareness of the value of cultural heritage an urgent priority for building civic pride and the economic potential of sustainable exploitation of cultural assets. This article reviews current strategies for the protection of cultural heritage in Jordan and reports on a new Italian-American-Jordanian project, which aims at developing a new regional archaeological museum for the Governorate of Madaba, central Jordan, which may serve as an educational tool and a springboard for local development and sustainable tourism.
The Italian Archaeological Expedition started in 2015 the exploration of the ancient city of Tell... more The Italian Archaeological Expedition started in 2015 the exploration of the ancient city of Tell Surghul/Nigin, in the State of Lagash, Southern Iraq (Dhi Qar).
The Italian Archaeological Expedition to Nigin of Sapienza University of Rome and University of P... more The Italian Archaeological Expedition to Nigin of Sapienza University of Rome and University of Perugia started excavations at Tell Zurghul in 2015: a survey and three excavations seasons were carried out in the period between 2016 and 2017. This volume presents the results of the archaeological explorations with the analysis of the stratigraphic and architectural contexts of Area A, B and D as well as the study of the pottery from the contexts so far investigated and the survey in Area C in the western sector of the site. Tell Zurghul is a site of about 70 ha in the modern province of Dhi Qar in Southern Iraq: it belongs, together with Tello/Girsu and al-Hiba/Lagaš, to the ancient State of Lagaš: starting from the very beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, Tell Zurghul can in fact be identified with the ancient Sumerian city of Nigin. Cuneiform sources dating from the first and second dynasties of Lagaš testify the intensive building activities of the rulers, mainly related to the important temple dedicated to the city goddess Nanše. In fact, Nigin was an important religious centre of the ancient State of Lagaš, and Gudea states that he purposely dug a canal from Girsu to Nigin (the so-called “Canal going to Nigin”) he regularly used to reach the city on the occasion of festivals, ceremonies and visits to the temple. The regulation of water, with the digging of canals and the management of the area of the marshes around the settlement, is an activity that involved, at several times, the rulers of Lagaš: in this respect, it is interesting to point out that Nanše, the patron deity of Nigin, is not only Enki’s daughter, but she is specifically linked to aquatic species, birds and fish, with a clear indication of the importance of the ancient environment and landscape for the development and growth of the city. The importance of the shape and features of the ancient environment and landscape has been at the centre of the archaeological investigations at Tell Zurghul: next to archaeological operations, the programme of research also encompassed the study of the ancient landscape, pointing to the reconstruction of the waterscape of the ancient State of Lagaš, in particularly for what concerns the proximity of the sea and, more importantly, the phenomenon of the sea ingression that occurred in the Early- and Mid-Holocene period (about 6500-6000 yr BP). The reconstruction so far made showed that Tell Zurghul was in fact in the middle of a lagoon system of brackish water, an environment that favoured the life of species, such as the bull sharks, whose vertebrae have been found in the archaeological context of Area B. The site had already been briefly investigated, in 1887, by Robert Koldewey during his visit to southern Iraq in the region of the ancient State of Lagaš: his works concentrated on the two mounds, with two narrow and deep soundings, and in other areas of the site (along the North-Western side and in the space in between the two mounds). Unfortunately, little information of his works is known: Koldewey published only one report, but he does not properly give any useful archaeological information, his conclusions on the nature and chronology of the site are misleading and untenable. The explorations so far conducted, for example, on the two mounds (Area B and Area D), definitely showed a different pattern and picture of the occupation and development of the site. On the one hand, excavations of the top and South-Western slope of Mound B revealed the superimposition of at least 5 architectural phases of a sacred building dating from the Ubaid 4 period, with the recovery of typical Ubaid findings such as clay cones, black painted vessels, clay sickles and both painted and unpainted censers. On the other, excavations on the Southern slope of the main Mound A, to the South of the soundings made by Koldewey, a system of artificial terracing has been identified: terraces and plastered platforms are probably to be ascribed to the work of rehabilitation of the area of the temple of Nanše by Gudea of Lagaš. Investigation in this area also revealed what seems to be the latest occupation of the site at the very beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, as it is also documented by the finding of fragments of 2nd millennium pottery in the lower city, to the South of Mound A (those fragments collapsed, together with the baked bricks and clay cones with Gudea’s inscriptions, from the uppermost layers of the mound) and in the survey Area C. Area C was surveyed in 2015 and 2017 and, even if open area excavations have not already been performed, an extended part of the North Western sector of the city was largely surveyed, with the collections of several surface materials and the identification of topographical and architectural features. The area seems quite well delimited to the East by a white large strip of what looks like an inner water canal running within the city, and possible changing its course during different chronological phases. Along the white strip on the ground, an elongated relief delimits on the ground this peripheral sector of the city, that, in particularly during the 2nd millennium BC, but also in earlier periods, seems to have been exclusively used as a productive area. This explains the presence of installations and workshops for the production and manufacture of goods, such as pottery and metals (different types of slags have been collected during the survey). In particular the presence of a small mound characterized by heavy deposits of ashy soil on the surface is noteworthy: here, a large kiln for the production of pottery has been discovered during the operation of scraping. This volume is therefore the result of the combination of several works: in particular, it aims to present a comprehensive study and analysis of pottery types, from the contexts dating from the Ubaid period to the latest phases of occupation in the early centuries of 2nd millennium BC. We are in fact strongly convinced that a new wave of Mesopotamian archaeology must necessarily encompass and be founded on the systematic study of pottery: the identification of recurrent types, the modes of production, chronological issues. This can be precisely done thanks to the exam of material culture from sure and stratified contexts that can then be compared and integrated with textual data, architectural features and, when possible, C14 datings. At the same time, the volume presents the architectural evidence of the buildings so far discovered as well as the geological studies and the analysis of the faunal remains as to reconstruct the ancient landscape and environment of the site within the region of the ancient State of Lagaš through the millennia.
Sulle rive dei fiumi Eufrate e Tigri sono nate le prime comunità urbane che hanno inventato la sc... more Sulle rive dei fiumi Eufrate e Tigri sono nate le prime comunità urbane che hanno inventato la scrittura ed elaborato pensieri e immagini fondanti la nostra cultura contemporanea. Il libro ripercorre la densa realtà storica dei popoli (Sumeri, Accadi, Amorrei, Cassiti, Babilonesi e Assiri) che si sono succeduti e hanno coabitato nella terra tra i due fi umi, fornendo uno sguardo d’insieme sulle scoperte archeologiche che hanno contribuito alla definizione dell’antica Mesopotamia come “culla della civiltà”.
The excavation of Tell Zurghul, ancient Sumerian Nigin in the ancient State of Lagash, is a joint... more The excavation of Tell Zurghul, ancient Sumerian Nigin in the ancient State of Lagash, is a joint Italian archaeological expedition of Sapienza University of Rome and University of Perugia since 2014. Largely known from cuneiform sources dating to the third millennium BC, the ancient city of Nigin was part of the ancient State of Lagash during the years of the kingdoms of the First and Second Dynasty of Lagash. In particular, Gudea of Lagash paid great attention to the restoration of the city, with the reconstruction of the main temple (Sirara) of the city goddess Nanshe and the reorganization of the network of canals for both irrigation and transport. Indeed, Gudea was responsible for the construction of the “Canal Going to Nigin”, a large waterway linking the three cities of the State of Lagash: from Girsu to Nigin passing through al-Hiba (ancient Lagash), finally reaching the sea and possibly the harbour of the State at Guabba.
The three seasons of excavations are shedding light on the most ancient phases of occupation of the site, with interesting discoveries on the formation of incipient urbanization and later urbanism in Southern Mesopotamia. In particular, results in Area A and Area B are the most stimulating, with evidence of the archaeological sequence at the very beginning of the third and mid-fifth millennium, respectively. New contexts and associated materials can finally shed light on the reconstruction of material culture, on the one hand, and the possibility to achieve efficient chrono-stratigraphy based on the analysis of stratified findings together with new C14 dating, on the other.
Excavations have also brought to light some features and architectural remains dated to the third and second millennium BC, in particular in Area C, on the north-western border of the site and in Area D, in the centre of the city on the top of Mound A. At the foot of Mound A, several stamped bricks and cones with Gudea’s inscriptions (quoting the construction of Nanshe’s temple) have been recovered: these written materials clearly derive from the collapse of the temple that was originally located on the top of the mound – the “mountain” as Gudea labels it. In Area C a complete survey revealed the existence of a large working sector of the city, that seems to have the longer life of the settlement, till the Isin-Larsa Period.
Finally, on-going research on the morphology of the ancient landscape aims at the reconstruction and comprehension of how the ancient ecosystem and environment looked like, taking into account not only the system of marshes and lagoons with brackish water, but also the artificial network of canals and, eventually, the proximity of the sea. Indeed, recent reconstruction actually points to the shape of the first settlement of Tell Zurghul as a turtleback surrounded by water.
Dal 2014 la Missione Archeologica Italiana a Nigin della Sapienza Università di Roma e dell’Unive... more Dal 2014 la Missione Archeologica Italiana a Nigin della Sapienza Università di Roma e dell’Università degli Studi di Perugia opera nel sito di Tell Zurghul in Iraq meridionale. Nel corso della conferenza i direttori di scavo presenteranno i risultati delle prime due campagne di indagine con le importanti novità emerse. Gli scavi italiani a Nigin, terzo centro urbano dell'antico Stato di Lagash, hanno messo in evidenza l'antichità della regione, con fasi di occupazione che risalgono al V millennio a.C. Il ritrovamento di iscrizioni cuneiformi in situ confermano inoltre l’importanza della città sumerica nella seconda metà del III millennio a.C. quale sede del principale santuario della dea Nanshe, ricostruito e restaurato dal sovrano Gudea di Lagash (XXII secolo a.C.).
The second workshop of the PRIN 2017 project "Fluid Crescent. Water and Life in the Societies of ... more The second workshop of the PRIN 2017 project "Fluid Crescent. Water and Life in the Societies of the Ancient Near East" presents the results of the second year of research by the group of archaeologists, paleobotanists, geologists and philologists of Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Perugia. The workshop, divided into three sessions, addresses and discusses the results of landscape, environmental, geological and archaeological studies of the Levant region (analysis of the coastal contexts in the region of Tyre in Lebanon and the Oasis of Damascus in Syria) and of southern Mesopotamia (study of water management systems in urban contexts starting from the case of Tell Zurghul/Nigin in Iraq). A study of the cult of the goddess Nanshe, lady of waters and marshes, and a session dedicated to the transformation and production of food, with the presentation of unpublished data from Tell Zurghul/Nigin, complete the framework of the research and development of the multidisciplinary project on the geo-morphological, archaeological and cultural aspects of the man-environment relationship.
The ancient state of Lagash was one of the major political powers in the Sumerian world of the th... more The ancient state of Lagash was one of the major political powers in the Sumerian world of the third millennium BCE. Presently located in southern Iraq, this state incorporated three main cities: Girsu (Tel-lo), Lagash (Tell al-Hiba), and Nigin (Tell Surghul). Early excavations at Tello retrieved textual records and artifacts that remain crucial and inexhaustible sources for our understanding of the social, political, economic, and religious structure of a Sumerian state. The recent resumption of various excavation, survey and publication projects dealing with the Lagash region necessitate a scientific dialogue. This workshop will bring together scholars from multiple disciplines who are actively engaged in the study of Lagash in order to facilitate collegiality and explore avenues for continuing research and fieldwork. Papers in this workshop will present and compare data-sets and analytical results from ongoing projects. Through these presentations, the workshop aims to promote discussions on topics such as chronology, landscape, and urbanism and to facilitate the development of future research designs.
Organizers: Davide NADALI Sapienza University of Rome – Italy Holly PITTMAN University of Pennsylvania, Andrea POLCARO Università degli Studi di Perugia
Participants (in alphabetical order): AL-HAMDANI Abdulamir Stony Brook University, SBAH Iraq ASHBY, Darren University of Pennsylvania CARTER Elizabeth University of California GOODMAN Reed University of Pennsylvania HRITZ Carrie American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, National Science Foundation-Geoscience JOTHERI Jaafar Durham University LECOMPTE Camille CNRS-Université Paris I-Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense-Ministère de la Culture PIZZIMENTI Sara Sapienza Università di Roma POURNELLE Jennifer R. Environment and Sustainability Program, University of South Carolina School of Earth, Ocean and Environment RENETTE Steve University of Pennsylvania REY Sébastien British Museum, UK ROST Stephanie Stony Brook University SCHRAKAMP Ingo Freie Universität Berlin STONE Elizabeth Stony Brook University VACCA Agnese Sapienza Università di Roma ZINGARELLO Melania Sapienza Università di Roma
Presentazione del volume Archeologia della Mesopotamia antica, a cura di Davide Nadali e Andrea P... more Presentazione del volume Archeologia della Mesopotamia antica, a cura di Davide Nadali e Andrea Polcaro, Carocci, Roma, 2015.
Programma della giornata
Saluti introduttivi Prof. Mario Tosti (Università degli Studi di Perugia) Prof. Gianluca Grassigli (Università degli Studi di Perugia)
Intervengono Prof. Daniele Morandi Bonaccossi (Università degli Studi di Udine) Prof. Paolo Matthiae (Sapienza Università di Roma)
MRAMP (Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project) is a join project started in 2016 and co-di... more MRAMP (Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project) is a join project started in 2016 and co-directed between Douglas Clark (La Sierra University), Suzanne Richard (Gannon University), Marta D'Andrea (Sapienza University) and Andrea Polcaro (Perugia University) and coordinated by Basem Mahamid (Department of Antiquities of Jordan). This project (that received the support of American Schools of Oriental Research and American Center of Oriental Research of Amman), part of a larger plan to establish a new regional museum in Madaba, Jordan, involves the clearing of accumulations of foliage and debris from around architectural remains in the Madaba Archaeological Park West; restoration of Roman pavements, Byzantine mosaics, and Ottoman structure walls; and preparations for the establishment of the new museum in Madaba.
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Papers by Andrea Polcaro
The paper presents the results of the most recent excavation campaigns carried out in 2016 and 2017 covering three areas (A, B, and D) in the central region of the site and a survey carried out along the western edge of the city (Area C). Recent agreements with the Department of Geology of both Perugia and Rome aimed at the study of the hydro-geological morphology of the site with special focus on the investigation of the areas once covered by water, i.e. the presence of marshes and canals, as the same Gudea of Lagash mentions in his inscriptions. Furthermore, the study also encompasses the analysis of the ancient shape of the city across time, from the Ubaid to the late third/beginning of the second Millennium BC.
Statistics alone does not give us proof of the intentionality of an astronomical alignment. It only gives us the probability that the alignment under consideration is random. The main proof of an intentional astronomical content in a cultural asset is always the archaeo- logical and historical one. Thus, Archaeoastronomy cannot be considered as an autonomous discipline.
The paper presents the results of the most recent excavation campaigns carried out in 2016 and 2017 covering three areas (A, B, and D) in the central region of the site and a survey carried out along the western edge of the city (Area C). Recent agreements with the Department of Geology of both Perugia and Rome aimed at the study of the hydro-geological morphology of the site with special focus on the investigation of the areas once covered by water, i.e. the presence of marshes and canals, as the same Gudea of Lagash mentions in his inscriptions. Furthermore, the study also encompasses the analysis of the ancient shape of the city across time, from the Ubaid to the late third/beginning of the second Millennium BC.
Statistics alone does not give us proof of the intentionality of an astronomical alignment. It only gives us the probability that the alignment under consideration is random. The main proof of an intentional astronomical content in a cultural asset is always the archaeo- logical and historical one. Thus, Archaeoastronomy cannot be considered as an autonomous discipline.
Tell Zurghul is a site of about 70 ha in the modern province of Dhi Qar in Southern Iraq: it belongs, together with Tello/Girsu and al-Hiba/Lagaš, to the ancient State of Lagaš: starting from the very beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, Tell Zurghul can in fact be identified with the ancient Sumerian city of Nigin. Cuneiform sources dating from the first and second dynasties of Lagaš testify the intensive building activities of the rulers, mainly related to the important temple dedicated to the city goddess Nanše. In fact, Nigin was an important religious centre of the ancient State of Lagaš, and Gudea states that he purposely dug a canal from Girsu to Nigin (the so-called “Canal going to Nigin”) he regularly used to
reach the city on the occasion of festivals, ceremonies and visits to the temple. The regulation of water, with the digging of canals and the management of the area of the marshes around the settlement, is an activity that involved, at several times, the rulers of
Lagaš: in this respect, it is interesting to point out that Nanše, the patron deity of Nigin, is not only Enki’s daughter, but she is specifically linked to aquatic species, birds and fish, with a clear indication of the importance of the ancient environment and landscape for the development and growth of the city.
The importance of the shape and features of the ancient environment and landscape has been at the centre of the archaeological investigations at Tell Zurghul: next to archaeological operations, the programme of research also encompassed the study of the ancient landscape, pointing to the reconstruction of the waterscape of the ancient State of Lagaš, in particularly for what concerns the proximity of the sea and, more importantly, the phenomenon of the sea ingression that occurred in the Early- and Mid-Holocene period (about 6500-6000 yr BP). The reconstruction so far made showed that Tell Zurghul was in fact in the middle of a lagoon system of brackish water, an environment that favoured the life of species, such as the bull sharks, whose vertebrae have been found in the archaeological context of Area B.
The site had already been briefly investigated, in 1887, by Robert Koldewey during his visit to southern Iraq in the region of the ancient State of Lagaš: his works concentrated on the two mounds, with two narrow and deep soundings, and in other areas of the site (along the North-Western side and in the space in between the two mounds). Unfortunately, little information of his works is known: Koldewey published only one report, but he does not properly give any useful archaeological information, his conclusions on the nature and chronology of the site are misleading and untenable.
The explorations so far conducted, for example, on the two mounds (Area B and Area D), definitely showed a different pattern and picture of the occupation and development of the site. On the one hand, excavations of the top and South-Western slope of Mound B revealed the superimposition of at least 5 architectural phases of a sacred building dating from the Ubaid 4 period, with the recovery of typical Ubaid findings such as clay cones, black painted vessels, clay sickles and both painted and unpainted censers. On the other, excavations on the Southern slope of the main Mound A, to the South of the soundings made by Koldewey, a system of artificial terracing has been identified: terraces and
plastered platforms are probably to be ascribed to the work of rehabilitation of the area of the temple of Nanše by Gudea of Lagaš. Investigation in this area also revealed what seems to be the latest occupation of the site at the very beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, as it is also documented by the finding of fragments of 2nd millennium pottery in the lower city, to the South of Mound A (those fragments collapsed, together with the baked bricks and clay cones with Gudea’s inscriptions, from the uppermost layers of the mound) and in the
survey Area C.
Area C was surveyed in 2015 and 2017 and, even if open area excavations have not already been performed, an extended part of the North Western sector of the city was largely surveyed, with the collections of several surface materials and the identification of topographical and architectural features. The area seems quite well delimited to the East by a white large strip of what looks like an inner water canal running within the city, and possible changing its course during different chronological phases. Along the white strip on the ground, an elongated relief delimits on the ground this peripheral sector of the city, that, in particularly during the 2nd millennium BC, but also in earlier periods, seems to have been
exclusively used as a productive area. This explains the presence of installations and workshops for the production and manufacture of goods, such as pottery and metals (different types of slags have been collected during the survey). In particular the presence of a small mound characterized by heavy deposits of ashy soil on the surface is noteworthy: here, a large kiln for the production of pottery has been discovered during the operation of scraping.
This volume is therefore the result of the combination of several works: in particular, it aims to present a comprehensive study and analysis of pottery types, from the contexts dating from the Ubaid period to the latest phases of occupation in the early centuries of 2nd millennium BC. We are in fact strongly convinced that a new wave of Mesopotamian archaeology must necessarily encompass and be founded on the systematic study of pottery: the identification of recurrent types, the modes of production, chronological issues.
This can be precisely done thanks to the exam of material culture from sure and stratified contexts that can then be compared and integrated with textual data, architectural features and, when possible, C14 datings. At the same time, the volume presents the architectural evidence of the buildings so far discovered as well as the geological studies and the analysis of the faunal remains as to reconstruct the ancient landscape and environment of the site within the region of the ancient State of Lagaš through the millennia.
The three seasons of excavations are shedding light on the most ancient phases of occupation of the site, with interesting discoveries on the formation of incipient urbanization and later urbanism in Southern Mesopotamia. In particular, results in Area A and Area B are the most stimulating, with evidence of the archaeological sequence at the very beginning of the third and mid-fifth millennium, respectively. New contexts and associated materials can finally shed light on the reconstruction of material culture, on the one hand, and the possibility to achieve efficient chrono-stratigraphy based on the analysis of stratified findings together with new C14 dating, on the other.
Excavations have also brought to light some features and architectural remains dated to the third and second millennium BC, in particular in Area C, on the north-western border of the site and in Area D, in the centre of the city on the top of Mound A. At the foot of Mound A, several stamped bricks and cones with Gudea’s inscriptions (quoting the construction of Nanshe’s temple) have been recovered: these written materials clearly derive from the collapse of the temple that was originally located on the top of the mound – the “mountain” as Gudea labels it. In Area C a complete survey revealed the existence of a large working sector of the city, that seems to have the longer life of the settlement, till the Isin-Larsa Period.
Finally, on-going research on the morphology of the ancient landscape aims at the reconstruction and comprehension of how the ancient ecosystem and environment looked like, taking into account not only the system of marshes and lagoons with brackish water, but also the artificial network of canals and, eventually, the proximity of the sea. Indeed, recent reconstruction actually points to the shape of the first settlement of Tell Zurghul as a turtleback surrounded by water.
Organizers:
Davide NADALI
Sapienza University of Rome – Italy
Holly PITTMAN
University of Pennsylvania,
Andrea POLCARO
Università degli Studi di Perugia
Participants (in alphabetical order):
AL-HAMDANI Abdulamir
Stony Brook University, SBAH Iraq
ASHBY, Darren
University of Pennsylvania
CARTER Elizabeth
University of California
GOODMAN Reed
University of Pennsylvania
HRITZ Carrie
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow, National Science Foundation-Geoscience
JOTHERI Jaafar
Durham University
LECOMPTE Camille
CNRS-Université Paris I-Université Paris Ouest Nanterre
La Défense-Ministère de la Culture
PIZZIMENTI Sara
Sapienza Università di Roma
POURNELLE Jennifer R.
Environment and Sustainability Program, University
of South Carolina School of Earth, Ocean and Environment
RENETTE Steve
University of Pennsylvania
REY Sébastien
British Museum, UK
ROST Stephanie
Stony Brook University
SCHRAKAMP Ingo
Freie Universität Berlin
STONE Elizabeth
Stony Brook University
VACCA Agnese
Sapienza Università di Roma
ZINGARELLO Melania
Sapienza Università di Roma
Programma della giornata
Saluti introduttivi
Prof. Mario Tosti (Università degli Studi di Perugia)
Prof. Gianluca Grassigli (Università degli Studi di Perugia)
Intervengono
Prof. Daniele Morandi Bonaccossi (Università degli Studi di Udine)
Prof. Paolo Matthiae (Sapienza Università di Roma)