Contribution to the Archaeology of the Kobane Region in Northern Syria
Based on unpublished Material from excavations of the National Museum of Aleppo
The project will be dedicated to the results of the excavation at Sûsan near the modern town of Kobane (Ain al-Arab), where the expedition of the National Museum of Aleppo recovered an unlooted tomb from the Early Bronze Age II/III (mid of 3rd Millennium BCE), which contained a large quantity of grave goods, namely ceramic vessels.
The results of the study with its new unpublished materials will contribute to our understanding of the cultural history of the actual region as well as the funerary costumes and its varieties in the larger area of the Northern Levant to the Middle Euphrates and the Western Jezirah.
The tomb typology, its architecture and the inventory (such as pottery, metallurgical objects, jewels, weapons…etc.) will help in gaining knowledge about the Early Bronze Age society of the site. The main goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the cultural history of the Kobane region in comparison with neighboring areas.
A comparison of the tomb with other high status graves in the Jezirah, the Middle Euphrates and Northern Levant will be provided, in order to link the burial customs and funerary practices in a wider scope.
Based on this evidence, the project aims to raise the question whether the burial tradition of the multiply used chamber tombs has found a wider geographical and chronological distribution than suggested in previous studies.
Project managment: Mohamad Fakhro
Funded by: Fritz Thyssen Stiftung
