Originalveröffentlichung in: al-Maqdissī – Valérie Matoïan – Christophe Nicolle (Hg.), Céramique de l'âge du bronze en Syrie, II, L'Euphrate et la région de Jézireh (Bibliothèque archéologique et historique 180), Beyrouth 2007, S. 231-291 X The Late Bronze Age Ceramic Traditions of the Syrian Jazirah Peter Pfalzner THE PERIODIZATION SYSTEM AND THE QUESTION clearly circumscribed factors in the history and chronology OF CHRONOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY of the Syrian Jazirah. Furthermore, through their specific political and economical organization they considerably The second half of the 2nd mill, BC in Syria has been influenced the material culture of the Syrian Jazirah. As chronologically labeled either in terms of the system of a consequence, both periods reveal a distinct ceramic "metal epochs" as the Late Bronze Age I and II or else repertoire. These two archaeological phases and ceramic labeled according to a culturally and geographically traditions can thus be labeled "Mittani" and "Middle oriented terminology as the "Middle-Syrian"' period Assyrian". (ca 1600/1530-1200/1100 BC). With regard to the strong In order to avoid misconceptions of these terms, it is geographical differentiation of material culture, especially important to note that the terms "Mittani" and "Middle pottery, within Syria to be observed in many periods, it is Assyrian ceramic period" do not imply an ethnic assignment advisable to introduce a chronological periodization on a of the pottery concerned. They have a purely political- regional scale. For the Syrian Jazirah, a region with very geographical significance. This is to say that any of the distinct ceramic repertoires through all phases from the Late Bronze Age Jazirah population groups - for example Early Bronze to the Iron Age, the "Jazirah chronological 3 Hurrians , Assyrians, Aramaeans, etc. - could theoretically 2 system" has been defined . In this article, the Late Bronze have been producers or consumers of the pottery from both Age will be classified, for the first time, as the "Middle ceramic traditions'. 3 Jazirah period" . According to typological criteria that will The term "Mittani" was used in 2nd mill, BC texts first be explained below, it can be subdivided into phases Middle of all as a geographical term to address the region between Jazirah (mJ) la, lb, Ha, lib, and III. the Middle Euphrates in Syria and the Middle Tigris, with 7 In addition, concerning the region of the Syrian Jazirah, the Khabur region in its center . According to this meaning, it has always been considered possible and legitimate to the term "Mittani pottery" is employed for the homogenous apply a purely historical periodization system referring group of ceramics from the core region of Mittani during to the Mittani period followed by the Middle Assyrian the time of the Mittani-state. period. This assumption is still valid and has been strongly "Middle Assyrian pottery" is the designation for supported by a recent comparative analysis of the pottery the ceramics in the Syrian Jazirah during the time of its 4 associated with the two periods . The political entity of incorporation into the Middle Assyrian empire starting Mittani and the succeeding Middle Assyrian Empire are with Adad-Nirari I (1295-1264 BC). The Syrian Jazirah 1 - KUMNE 1980: p. 15; MATTIHAB 1981: p. 52; KOHLMBYER & STROMMENGER 4 - PFALZNER 1995, see especially p. 221-232. 1982: p. 370; WEISS 1985: p. 43. 5 - "Mittani" is not the designation of a certain group of people and is thus 2-See PFALZNER 1997b; 1998; LEBEAU 2000; DOHMANN-PFALZNER & not to be understood as an ethnic term (WILHELM 19S2: p. 34 f.). PFALZNER 2000, fig. 2. 6 - See the discussions in BARRELET et al. 1977, BARRELET 1984 and 3 - The Early Bronze Age is called "Early Jazirah Period" (3000-2000 BC), BARRELET & GARDIN 1986 concerning the impossibility of assigning the Middle Bronze Age (Old Babylonian time; so-called "Khabur period") is specific objects of art and material culture to the Humans. refered to as "Old Jazirah" (2000-1550) (see DOHMANN-PFALZNER & PFALZNER 7 - WILHELM 1982: p. 34 f. and personal communication. 2002, fig. 3), the Iron Age is labeled "New Jazirah" (1050-330). 232 CERAMIQUE DE L'ACE DU BRONZE EN SYRIE, II pottery of this period is identical to the pottery used in the Across-dating of Late Bronze Age sub-periods between Assyrian heartland at Assur or Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta. The the Jazirah-Region and the region of Northwestern Syria introduction of this new type of pottery can thus be seen as to the west and the Trans-Tigridian Region to the east is a consequence of the Middle-Assyrian political domination possible on the basis of chronologically distinctive pottery and administration in the Syrian Jazirah. types, like Nuzi-Ware, Grey Burnished Ware, Acana-Ware The Middle Jazirah period is clearly fixed in time, etc. (see below) that occur at Alalakh'2, at Nuzi and at as an overall period as well as with regard to its internal Jazirah sites in Syria and Northern Iraq. A comparative inter• subdivisions. The beginning of the Middle Jazirah period is regional periodization chart can be established (Fig. 2). marked by the end of the Middle Bronze Age in Syria that is normally correlated with the Hittite incursion in Syria and Babylonia and which opened the way for the establishment ABSOLUTE JAZIRAH REGION NW-SYRLV TRANS-TIGRIS DATE (BC) AMUQ-REGION REGION of the Mittani state. The absolute date of this historical change of period depends on the insecurities of the Middle 1550/1400- Middle Brak 3-6 Middle Alalakh Middle Nuzi versus the Low Chronology (1590 or 1530 respectively). A 1350 Jazirah IA Syrian v-m Trans- IV-III IA Tigridian Nuzi 11 medium date of 1550 BC is adopted in our sequence. IA The end of the Middle Jazirah period can be fixed 1400/1350 Middle Brak2, Middle Alalakh Middle Nuzi I in correlation with the extension of the Middle Assyrian -1270 Jazirah I B Bderi 3-5 Syrian II Trans- IB Tigridian pottery tradition. Although this tradition can be subdivided IB into the stages Middle Assyrian (mA) I to III on the basis of 1270-1200 Middle Sh. Hamad Middle Alalakh I Middle Syrian 11 quantitative and qualitative changes, the Middle Assyrian Jazirah mAI Trans- IIA Tigridian pottery reveals an overall typological homogeneity during n the period between ca. 1270 and 1070/50 BC. Thus, the 1200-1120 Middle Sh. Hamad Middle Assyrian pottery period extends chronologically Jazirah mAII IIB well beyond the end of the Late Bronze Age (as seen traditionally) into the Iron Age I. The Syrian Jazirah 1120-1050 Middle Bderi 2 Jazirah III (mAIII) pottery (and material culture in general) was not decisively affected by the disruptions in the other regions of Syria at around 1200 BC8. The picture of cultural discontinuity or Fig. 2 - Cross-dating of Late Bronze Age periods in the Jazirah even collapse at the end of the Late Bronze Age is not valid Region, Northwestern Syria and the Trans-Tigris Region. for this region9. The correlation between the regional periodization system, the regional ceramic traditions and the traditional THE SITES AND THEIR CERAMIC CONTEXTS classification system of "metal ages"1" can be demonstrated in a chart (Fig. 1). The presentation of the Late Bronze Age ceramic traditions of the Syrian Jazirah focuses on the Khabur ABSOLUTE PERIOD CERAMIC TRADITION METAL headwater region including the valley of the Middle and 1 DATE (BC) AGES Lower Khabur, but has also to take into consideration the LB 1 1550/1400- Middle Jazirah Early Mittani pottery Balikh area to the west and the Iraqi Jazirah to the east. 1350 1A tradition 1400/1350- Middle Jazirah Late Mittani pottery LB n A This broader region of study embracing the river valleys 1270 IB tradition and steppe areas of Northern Mesopotamia between 1270-1200 Middle Jazirah Middle Assyrian pottery LB II B Balikh, Khabur and Middle Tigris has to exclude the 1) A tradition, phase mA I Middle Euphrates valley region, because the latter 1200-1120 Middle Jazirah Middle Assyrian pottery Iron IA II B tradition, phase mA II is considerably distinct from the former region with 1120-1050 Middle Jazirah Terminal Middle Assyrian Iron IB regard to its material culture and especially its pottery III pottery tradition, phase traditions. The region of study defined above constitutes mA III a homogenous ecological zone known as the Syro-Iraqi Fig. 1 - Syrian Jazirah periodization system Jazirah13 and, at the same time, a coherent ceramic region in the Late Bronze Age / Early Iron Age. in the Late Bronze Age (plate I). 8 - Compare e.g. HALLO 1992: p. 1 ff.; SADER 1992: p. 157 ff. 11 - Following AVI-YONAH 1975; DORNEMANN 1985; LEBEAU 1983, 23, 9 - Similar views of Late Bronze to Iron Age continuity in Inner Syria and Fig. 6. Babylonia have already been expressed by MCCLELLAN (1992: p. 166-168) 12 - For a recent discussion of the chronological position of Alalakh VI and ZETTLER (1992: p. 180). and V, see EDER 2003. 10 - The chronology of "metal ages" in fig. 1 follows AVI-YONAH 1975; 13 - SANLAVILLE 1990: p. 1-12, fig. 1-2. DORNEMANN 1985; LEBEAU 1983b: p. 23, fig. 6. X. The Late Bronze Age Ceramic Traditions of the Syrian Jazirah 233 Middle Jazirah sites on the Middle and Lower Khabur mA III type of Middle Assyrian pottery24. There is older Middle Assyrian (Middle Jazirah II) material25, as well, and The basic sites for Late Bronze Age ceramics in the a Mittani occupation (levels 10-13) with Middle Jazirah I B valley of the Middle and Lower Khabur are Tell Shaikh pottery26. Hamad and Tell Bderi. At Tell Shaikh Hamad Middle Among the survey sites in the 'Ajij-region to the east Assyrian pottery was found in a large storage building on of the valley of the Lower Khabur, Tell Umm 'Aqrebe the western slope of the mound.