Tell Halaf Grabungsprojekt
DEU / ENG

Excavation 2006

Elisabeth Katzy, M.A.

Aims
Seventy-seven years had passed before excavation of the site was taken up again. The character of this first campaign was that of a sounding. Areas A, B and C were opened on the citadel. The primary issue in Area A was to explore the building history of the so-called Hilani. An area to the northwest of the Hilani, as well as the area of the «Skorpionentor» and beneath the «Südtor» were chosen for Area B. Its purpose was to investigate the prehistoric settlement. Area C, situated at the «Nordost-Palast» was concerned with exploring the constructional typology of the building and its southern boundaries.

Special Studies
Before excavations began, Brigitte Wolf and Elfriede Huber created a new measurement grid for the site. Through rediscovered architectural remains, it can be related to the grid of the previous excavations. Simultaneously, work began on creating a new, three-dimensional topographical map.

Christian Hübner and Stefan Giese conducted first geo-physical investigations around Areas A and C.

In order to assess animal bones and botanic samples, a floatation-machine was manufactured under the supervision of Felix Schreiber. Thus, floatation already began in the season of 2006.

To find out more about the origin of the basalt-stones used at Tell Halaf, Dr. Kirsten Drüppel, Andreas Kratzig and Stefan Geismeier made geological surveys around Karacaladig, El Kbise and the volcanic field of Cizre (southeast Turkey), as well as on the Ard esh-Sheikh-Plateau (northeast Syria).

Team 2006

Area A
Dr. Lutz Martin (Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin)
Muhammad Fakhru, Student (Nationalmuseum Aleppo)
Raphaela Heitmann, M.A. (Berlin)
Gerlinde Bigga, Studentin (Universität Tübingen)

Area B
Dr. Jörg Becker (Universität Halle)
Olesia Kromberg, M.A. (Universität Frankfurt)
Manuela Lischke, Studentin (Universität Halle)

Area C
PD Dr. Mirko Novák (Universität Tübingen)
Samer Abdel Ghafour (Antikenverwaltung Damaskus)
Brigitte Laschinger, Studentin (Universität Tübingen)
Katja Sternizke, M.A. (Universität Berlin)
Dr. Susanne Görke (Universität Mainz)
Nowruz Tobal Hamu, Studentin (Universität Aleppo)
Idris Hussein, Master (Ras al-Ain)
Christiane Köpplin, Studentin (Universität Tübingen)

Indoor Staff
Small objects – first listing:
Elisabeth Katzy, M.A. (Universität Tübingen)

Small objects – documentation:
Gabriele Elsen-Novák, M.A. (Universität Tübingen)

Photography:
Günther Mirsch (Steinau)

Restoration:
Simone Korolnik-Jablonka, Dipl.-Rest (Tübingen)

Ceramics:
Dr. Uwe Sievertsen (Universität Tübingen / St. Gallen)

Botany:
Felix Schreiber, Student (Universität Tübingen)

Surveying:
Brigitte Wolf, Dipl.-Ver. (Karlsruhe)
Elfriede Huber Dipl.-Ver. (Karlsruhe)

Geophysics:
Christian Hübner, Dipl.-Geol. (Freiburg)
Stefan Giese, Dipl.-Geol. (Freiburg)

Geology:
Dr. Kirsten Drüppel (Technische Universität Berlin)
Dipl.-Min. Andreas Kratzig (Technische Universität Berlin)
Dipl.-Rest. Stefan Geismeier (Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin)

Local Workforce
80 workers from Tell Halaf

Guests
It was our pleasure to welcome many guests to our excavation and to explain the first new results to them.

(Translation: B. Finkbeiner / A. Sollee / B. Sollee)

1Areas of excavation (map)
2Team 2006 (Photo: G. Mirsch)
3Area C: During excavations 2006 (Photo: G. Mirsch)
4Female workers washing sherds (Photo: G. Mirsch)
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