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Unknown Qatna Amazing Ruins & Royal Tomb Discoveries Unknown Qatna Amazing Ruins & Royal Tomb Discoveries Part I www.ancient-cultures.info Introduction modern town like it was the case in Bosra. Also You possibly have not heard of this intrigu- different to Bosra when excavations begun all ing archeological site. Reason being that modern buildings erected on the archeological Qatna lies in war torn Syria. Most of you site were removed and its inhabitants resettled. might have read about famous Palmyra and Bosra or seen a report of it on TV. Few It really was an archeological sensation when might even have had the chance to visit in 2002 and again in 2009 two untouched those impressive ruins before the war in royal tombs with rich funeral furnishings Syria started like I was fortunate to do so. were discovered during excavations by Ger- man archeologists beneath the main pal- Unfortunately, Qatna was never open for visits ace building. Now let’s look a bit in more and was not listed in any tourist information. detail at this fascinating prehistoric site. Despite various excavation campaigns no re- constructions were undertaken at all. Never- Qatna History theless, it is one of the most interesting un- About 4,000 years ago Qatna was established known treasures in the Near East to explore as trade center between Halab/Aleppo in the for times to come. Qa- north and port city of tna really is different from Ugarit in the south. legendary Palmyra and From the start an Bosra in many aspects. Amurrite dynasty ruled Qatna for five First its square layout with centuries. They arose massive mud walls has re- from independent ally no comparison in pre- nomadic tribes called historic Syria. Secondly it in historic sources was very much destroyed amurru or apiru. Ex- and over time the mod- perts established ern town of Al Mushrefa that Qatna was an expanded more and more important city state into the archeological site. and not a kingdom with large territories. Unfortunately, it was also used to source building The modern Tell el- materials for the growing Mischrife or Al Mush- 2 arefa village is situated sive earth wall with outer about 18 kms northeast moat and reached an ex- of Homs. The ancient city tension of over hundred was built at the confluence hectares. This was rather of two rivers. New land of huge at the time and is 25 ha for agricultural pro- described in more detail duction was created to further on in this article. sustain its urban devel- opment. This was man- First Phase aged by a well-organized Around 2700 BC in the production process with Early Bronze Age a settle- sizable over production ment existed at the site of allowing a growing trade the later upper city. It had to flourish with exports. a round layout of an aston- ishing 30 ha at the time. Around Qatna 17 satellite The houses on the pla- towns on two hierarchy teau were rather large with levels focused on well-or- various rooms and outside ganized agricultural pro- shaft silos for food storage. duction. Various springs secured permanent water In total over 100 storage supply as main basis for pits found, plus two grain the growing city and agri- storage rooms. Around culture expansion. Annual 2500 BC warehouses and rain fall reached only 500 silos were erected on millimeters on average. destroyed and flattened houses on the plateau. The first use of the name These silos were used Qatna or QTN as no vo- for long time storage of cals existed in old alpha- agricultural products in- bets was based on a dam cluding barley, wheat, built close to the city. We grapes, olives and pulses. know that at some stage the following ancient cit- Second Phase ies belonged to Qatna: About 2000 BC a mayor Qadesh, Homs, Palmyra, settlement extension was Dur Ischchi-Addu, Nazala/ done by Amurritic tribes Qaryalein and Arattum. who moved in from the mid So far only ten percent of Qatna could be excavated. City Developments Let us now look at the first developments from a small regional town to an important regional trad- ing center with long dis- tance trade connections. Qatna had a common city layout with citadel en- forced by a stone wall at its foot. All vital buildings lay within the citadel. The lower city area consisted of living quarters. The city was protected by a mas- 3 port on the Mediterranean coast and Alalakh the Murk- ish capital on the Orontes river west of Halab/Aleppo. This temple of goddess NIN.É.GAL or belet-ekallim housed an important invento- ry of cuneiform platelets with hundreds of text lines listing cult objects, their sponsors and even Qatna rulers allow- ing to record a full chronol- ogy of rulers. The so-called gods of lands temple plus a temple with separate cult Euphrates region. Qatna re- surrounding official rooms, buildings and rectangular ceived a square layout includ- plus a smaller yard with small- cella formed the holy area. ing an upper and lower city. It’s er private rooms. A temple with building layout was similar to a holy cella, columned ante The lower city consisted of the Mesopotamian city of Mari portico and a basin in front several residential areas with and Ebla in the Fertile Crescent. was also erected during that varying architecture and some time. A necropolis with 50 sim- residences included work- And Qatna was now enforced ple burials in pits or large pot- shops. All crucial buildings by most impressive and solid tery vessels with rich funerary were than located in the upper city walls. The earth wall was gifts was established as well. city and residential areas at the 20 meters high with a base of lower city area. West of Loth 70 meters, plus a five meters Third Phase Hill a rich living area was estab- high brick wall on top. This During this phase a large resi- lished with complex houses. structure was unique in the re- dential area was added. This During that period important gion and various attacks were included the small South Pal- pottery mass production took successfully fought off by it. ace as part of a group of pub- place imitating the beautiful lic buildings and other small ceramic ware from Mycenae. Four city gates east, west, palaces in the upper city. south and north were guard- Qatna’s First Attack ed by 500 soldiers delegat- A long rectangular temple The establishment of long- ed from various towns. The was also erected similar to distance trade resulted in city gates were similar to the that in Ugarit a Phoenician wealth and various city states typical Syrian city gates with three bottlenecks and two chambers to control access. The new city wall changed the shape of the lake, now run- ning along three sides of the wall with a small pond inside the wall. The enormous earth wall structure proved very ef- fective against various forms of ancient attacks with ar- chers, ramming devices, mo- bile towers and tunnel digging. The first palace in Qatna was built in the period around 1800 BC with a central courtyard and 4 and kingdoms to grow. So Fourth Phase Qatna was growing again to an wars about resources and Aramaic tribes repopulated extension of 70 ha. But it was gained treasures were be- Qatna around 900 BC. They only a regional production coming a common thread. built a new palace in the center in the Hamath Empire west upper city surrounded with 20 rural villages around No surprise Qatna was at- again by various complex- forming part of the desig- tacked, plundered and de- es, residential area, artisan nated Qatna manufacturing stroyed first time by Hittite area, walls and the West Gate unit. The lower town area was King Suppilulima in 1350 BC was rebuilt in a new layout. growing including the size of and inhabitants were deported houses with various rooms to Anatolia. Hittites were able This palace was similar to around a court yard includ- to win the battle, because they the Hama royal palace, with ing a cult room with shrine. had developed iron swords a rectangular long court- which were stronger than yard with representation Final Attack & Demise the bronze weapons every- and store rooms around it. 720 BC Qatna was again de- body else used in the area. Qatna was now part of the stroyed by Neo-Assyrian King regional Hamath Empire, Sargon II. who conquered Thereafter Qatna was re- a Luwic Aramaic dynasty. also the Hamath Empire. built again. It was report- Thereafter only reduced ac- ed that Egyptian Pharaoh This rebuilding included tivities took place in Qatna. Tuthmosis III. visited Qa- buildings used for residen- tna, but did not conquer it. tial and production pur- Until 550 BC only a small settle- Later Amenhotep II. tried to poses such as: seals, jew- ment existed on the acropolis attack Qatna, but was not elry, metal works, weaving with limited agriculture, weav- able to conquer it either, due including coloring, pottery ing and pottery production. to its huge and very effec- and agricultural production. Around 330 BC Qatna was tive defensive wall structure. finally deserted with no fur- A large building for com- ther residential activities. But later around 1200 BC Qat- mercial wine production was na was destroyed again in var- also erected, assumed to Qatna’s Important Buildings ious attacks and finally given serve for export purposes. Now let us look a bit closer up. There is a lack of archae- Over 100 silos and under- at the important palace build- ological evidence of settle- ground storage pits were ings in Qatna.
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