Yoshihiro Nishiaki
Marie Le Mière
The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia : New
evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast
Syria
In: Paléorient. 2005, Vol. 31 N°2. pp. 55-68.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Nishiaki Yoshihiro, Le Mière Marie. The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia : New evidence from Tell Seker alAheimar,
the Khabur, northeast Syria . In: Paléorient. 2005, Vol. 31 N°2. pp. 55-68.
doi : 10.3406/paleo.2005.5125
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/paleo_0153-9345_2005_num_31_2_5125
Abstract
Abstract : The oldest Pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia, including the Khabur basin, has long
been believed to be represented by the Proto-Hassuna (Sotto-Umm Dabaghiyah) entity. Recent
excavations at Tell Seker al-Aheimar, on the upper Khabur, produced new evidence that questions this
view. The excavations revealed that a Pottery Neolithic phase predating the Proto-Hassuna existed on
the Khabur, characterized by a distinct set of pottery as well as architecture and lithic technology. The
long uninterrupted sequence at Tell Seker al-Aheimar, beginning perhaps from the Middle PPNB and
ending with the Proto-Hassuna, shows that this cultural entity, provisionally referred to as "Pre-ProtoHassuna
", was derived from a local fades of East Taurus PPNB and gradually developed into ProtoHassuna.
Radiocarbon dates for this phase indicate the early centuries of the 8th millennium BP, a
period prior to that of Proto- Hassuna settlements in both northeast Syria and northern Iraq. These new
data highlight the necessity of reconsidering the Neolithic framework of Upper Mesopotamia in general.
Résumé
Résumé : La céramique Proto-Hassuna a longtemps été considérée comme la plus ancienne du bassin
du Khabur et de l'ensemble de la Haute Mésopotamie (Sotto, Umm Dabaghiyah...). Les données
fournies par les fouilles récemment effectuées à Tell Seker al-Aheimar remettent en cause cette vision.
Elles démontrent qu 'une phase céramique a précédé le Proto-Hassuna, se distinguant de celui-ci par la
céramique aussi bien que par l 'architecture et la technologie lithique. La séquence longue et continue
de Tell Seker al-Aheimar, qui commence peut-être au PPNB Moyen et s 'achève au Proto-Hassuna,
montre que cette entité culturelle, appelée provisoirement « Pre-Proto- Hassuna », s 'est développée à
partir d'un faciès local du PPNB du Taurus oriental et a progressivement évolué vers le Proto-Hassuna.
Les datations radiocarbone indiquent pour cette phase le début du VIIIe millénaire BP, une période
antérieure à celle des sites Proto- Hassuna aussi bien de Syrie du Nord-Est que d'Iraq du Nord. Dans la
mesure où aucun site vraiment comparable au « Pre-Proto- Hassuna » n 'est connu en Iraq du Nord,
ces nouvelles données soulignent la nécessité de reconsidérer le Néolithique de Haute Mésopotamie
dans son ensemble.
The oldest pottery Neolithic of upper
Mesopotamia : New evidence from
Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur,
northeast Syria
Y. NISHIAKI and M. LE MiÈRE
Abstract : The oldest Pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia, including the Khabur basin, has long been believed to be represented
by the Proto-Hassuna (Sotto-Umm Dabaghiyah) entity. Recent excavations at Tell Seker al-Aheimar, on the upper Khabur, produced
new evidence that questions this view. The excavations revealed that a Pottery Neolithicphase predating the Proto-Hassuna existed on
the Khabur, characterized by a distinct set ofpottery as well as architecture and lithic technology. The long uninterrupted sequence at
Tell Seker al-Aheimar, beginning perhaps from the Middle PPNB and ending with the Proto-Hassuna, shows that this cultural entity,
provisionally referred to as "Pre-Proto-Hassuna ", was derivedfrom a localfades ofEast Taurus PPNB and gradually developed into
Proto-Hassuna. Radiocarbon datesfor this phase indicate the early centuries ofthe 8th millennium BP, aperiodprior to that ofProtoHassuna
settlements in both northeast Syria and northern Iraq. These new data highlight the necessity ofreconsidering the Neolithic
framework of Upper Mesopotamia in general.
Résumé : La céramique Proto-Hassuna a longtemps été considérée comme laplus ancienne du bassin du Khabur et de l'ensemble de la
Haute Mésopotamie (Sotto, Umm Dabaghiyah...). Les données fournies par lesfouilles récemment effectuées à Tell Seker al-Aheimar
remettent en cause cette vision. Elles démontrent qu 'une phase céramique a précédé le Proto-Hassuna, se distinguant de celui-cipar la
céramique aussi bien que par l 'architecture et la technologie lithique. La séquence longue et continue de Tell Seker al-Aheimar, qui com
mence peut-être au PPNB Moyen et s 'achève au Proto-Hassuna, montre que cette entité culturelle, appelée provisoirement « Pre-ProtoHassuna
», s 'est développée à partir d'un faciès local du PPNB du Taurus oriental et aprogressivement évolué vers le Proto-Hassuna.
Les datations radiocarbone indiquent pour cette phase le début du VIIIe millénaire BP, une période antérieure à celle des sites ProtoHassuna
aussi bien de Syrie du Nord-Est que d'Iraq du Nord. Dans la mesure où aucun site vraiment comparable au « Pre-ProtoHassuna
» n 'est connu en Iraq du Nord, ces nouvelles données soulignent la nécessité de reconsidérer le Néolithique de Haute Mésopot
amiedans son ensemble.
Key-Words : Upper Mesopotamia, East Taurus PPNB, Proto-Hassuna, Mineral-temperedpottery.
Mots Clefs : Haute Mésopotamie, Taurus oriental, Proto-Hassuna, Céramique à dégraissant minéral.
The Khaburbasin, northeast Syria, is situated at the western into use. In other words, the interface between the Pre-Pottery
edge of Upper Mesopotamia (fig. 1 : 14). One of the unan- Neolithic and the Pottery Neolithic is unclear. Proto-Hassuna
swered questions on the Neolithic archaeology ofthis basin and (Sotto-Umm Dabaghiyah) is generally considered to be repreUpper
Mesopotamia in general is when and how pottery came sentative of the oldest Pottery Neolithic in this region. HowPaléorient,
vol. 3 1/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005 Manuscrit reçu le 12 août 2005, accepté le 15 décembre 2005
56 Y. NISHIAKI and M. LE MlÈRE
■<
IRAQ
Fig. 1 : Map showing the location of Tell Seker al-Aheimar (star)
and the other sites mentioned in the text. 1 : Cayonti ; 2 : Cafer
Hôytik ; 3 : Kumar tepe ; 4 : Mezraa-Teleilat ; 5 : Akarçay ; 6 : Ras
Shamra ; 7 : Ain el-Kerkh ; 8: Halula ; 9: Abu Hureyra ; 10:
Gù'rcti tepe ; 11 : Assouad ; 12 : Sabi Abyad I ; 13 : Damishliyah ;
14: Halaf; 15: Feyda ; 16: Gharrah (Jabal Abdul Aziz) ; 17:
Khaneke ; 18 : Raheke ; 19 : Kashkashok II; 20 : Khazna II; 21 :
Ginnig ; 22 : Maghzaliyah ; 23 : Sotto ; 24 : Thalathat II ; 25 : Umm
Dabaghiyah ; 26 : Hassuna.
ever, its origin and precise chronological position are not well
understood since almost all Proto-Hassuna settlements such as
Kashkashok II, Sotto and Umm Dabaghiyah, are founded on
virgin soil that did not have earlier settlements underneath.
Moreover, the rarity of the excavated Pre-Pottery Neolithic
sites in this region makes the period immediately prior to the
Proto-Hassuna virtually an enigma. Tell Ginnig in northern
Iraq is a rare excavated Proto-Hassuna site that was founded on
aceramic Neolithic deposits1 ; however, no architecture was
recovered from the aceramic level and its cultural assemblage
is not entirely defined. Tell Maghzaliyah, another important
site in northern Iraq, has rich late Pre-PotteryNeolithic (PPNB)
levels but no Pottery Neolithic was found above these levels. In
fact, the excavator expresses the opinion that there should still
be a certain chronological gap between the PPNB of Maghzali
yahand the Proto-Hassuna2.
Recent excavations at Tell Seker al-Aheimar carried out by
a team from the University of Tokyo have, for the first time,
provided evidence of a continuous sequence from the PPNB
phase to the Proto-Hassuna phase in this cultural province.
Interestingly, in addition to PPNB and Proto-Hassuna
als, a new group of pottery pre-dating the Proto-Hassuna was
discovered here3 ; this apparently fills the gap between the
PPNB and Proto-Hassuna phases at least in the Khabur basin.
Thus, the new information from Tell Seker al-Aheimar should
shed light on the beginning or development of not only pottery
production but also the Proto-Hassuna entity.
This paper comprises three major parts. First, we provide
a summary of the excavations of the site. Second, we present
the newly discovered PotteryNeolithic entity with special ref
erence to the ceramic evidence. Third, we address the impli
cations of this discovery for the Neolithic chronology of
Upper Mesopotamia.
TELL SEKER AL-AHEIMAR AND THE
EXCAVATIONCONTEXT
Tell Seker al-Aheimar is a Neolithic mound on the right
bank of the Upper Khabur, approximately 45 km northwest of
Hassake in northeast Syria. It covers an area of approximately
300 m by 150 m, and has a height of around llm over the su
rrounding fields. Our attention was first drawn to the mound
during a French-Japanese survey carried out in 199 14, and it
subsequently became the focus of six seasons of excavations
from 2000 to 2005 5. Due to the presence of a modern village
and its associated cotton fields, fruit gardens, cemetery and
other domestic structures on the mound, the excavated trenches
(Sectors A to E) were generally limited to the northern slope
facing the Khabur river (fig. 2). All the trenches produced rich
Neolithic cultural deposits with a thickness of up to 7 m. In
addition, a surface survey, an examination of the stratigraphy of
the local wells and a series of core-drillings for geo-archaeological
purposes indicated that Neolithic deposits are also present
on the southern slope. The Neolithic settlement appears to be
distributed quite widely over the mound, probably around 4 ha
or even more, which makes Tell Seker al-Aheimar one of the
largest known Neolithic sites on the Khabur.
Thus far, an area of approximately 750m2 has been exca
vated. Virgin soil has been reached in three trenches (Sectors
А, С and E). The combined stratigraphy of the excavation
trenches enabled us to define at least five Neolithic phases
1. Campbell and ВAiRD, 1990.
2. BADER, 1989 : 355.
3. NISHIAKI, 2001.
4. NISHIAKI, 1992, 2000.
5. NISHIAKI, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004a.
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The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia : New evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast Syria 57
Fig. 2 : Plan and the excavated areas of Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
-three PPNB and two Pottery Neolithic phases, primarily
from architectural evidence.
The earliest PPNB phase was exposed in Sectors С and E.
Small rectangular buildings on a cobble-paved platform were
found6. The plans of the buildings consisted of a few parallel
rooms, the floors of which were made with packed mud. Also
remarkable in this phase were large rectangular pit-ovens with
numerous burnt rocks inside. New types of buildings and fea
tures appeared in the next PPNB phase, which was exposed in
Sector E7. Larger, rectangular multi-roomed buildings on stone
socles became popular. Stone socles were present in the earliest
phase as well, but those in this phase were higher and far more
substantial, up to 80 cm wide. Buildings with small rooms, less
than lm on each side, were also present ; these may represent
under-floor structures. The common use ofgypsum plastering
for architecture was yet another important change. Apart from
this, pit-ovens with burnt rocks inside were progressively
changed to smaller and narrower oval pit-ovens. This was fo
llowed by the latest PPNB phase at Seker al-Aheimar, which
was marked by the emergence of rectangular buildings with
large rooms (approximately 4 to 5 m on each side) and mudplastered
floors. The other architectural remains were quite
similar to the previous ones, however : narrow pit-ovens and
small-roomed buildings with gypsum-plastered floors were
also present.
The architecture of these phases strikingly resembles that of
the PPNB levels of Cayônii8, southeast Anatolia. According to
the terminology developed at Cayônii, the three aceramic
phases of Seker al-Aheimar are comparable to the "Cobblepaved
building", the "Cell-plan building", and the "Cell-plan/
Large-room transitional building" phases respectively. Thus,
although sufficient radiocarbon dates are not yet available, the
earliest PPNB phase ofSeker al-Aheimar is provisionally dated
to the Middle PPNB, and the later ones to the Late PPNB9.
The oldest PotteryNeolithic phase was recognised in all the
excavation trenches except in Sector D, which is a sounding pit
with too small dimensions (3 m x 4 m) to produce sufficient
cultural materials. In Sectors А, С and E, this phase appeared
directly on top of the PPNB layers without any stratigraphie
break. While the building construction methods including those
for ovens were fundamentally the same as those during the lat
est PPNB, the use ofstone socles for walls became uncommon
and the walls came to be narrower. "Cell-plan" buildings were
no longer constructed. The construction of"large-room" build
ingsmay have continued, but only fragmentary walls hinted at
their presence. The strong tie with the architectural sequence at
Cayônii appears less evident in this phase. On the other hand,
noteworthy in this phase were large platform structures made of
mud-slabs, often laid as foundations for buildings. In addition,
the more frequent method involving floor plastering with gyp
sum and the more elaborate features such as gypsum-lined
benches, niches and water channels characterise the architec
tureof this phase (figs 4-6). Above the layers containing these
architectural remains, cultural assemblages of Proto-Hassuna
pottery were recorded in all the five sectors. The pisé-walls of
the Proto-Hassuna, built directly on the ground, were all very
narrow, comprising small rectangular rooms whose floors were
not carefully plastered with gypsum.
In this way, the cultural sequence at Tell Seker al-Aheimar
consists of well-defined architectural phases that cover much of
the previously unknown Neolithic periods on the Khabur.
Apart from a few possible surveyed and sounded PPNB sites10,
the oldest excavated Neolithic sites were the Proto-Hassuna
settlements of Tell Kashkashok II11 and Khazna II12. There-
6. NISHIAKI, 2004a.
7. The excavations at Sector С have been carried out in a stepped trench,
with unexcavated deposits between the first and the third PPNB phases.
8. ÔZDOGAN, 1999.
9. The latest PPNB of Seker al-Aheimar may include the Final PPNB or
PPNC.
10. BRAIDWOOD, 1958 ; HOLE, 2000 ; NISHIAKI, 2000.
11. MATSUTANI, 1991.
12. MUNCHAEV e MERPERT, 1994.
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58 Y. NISHIAKI and M. LE MlÈRE
10m
Fig. 3 : Part ofa Pre-Proto-Hassuna architecture in Sector С, Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
Fig. 4 : Pit-oven of the Pre-Proto-Hassuna phase in Sector E, Tell Fig. 5 : Section ofa bench structure ofthe Pre-Proto-Hassuna phase
Seker al-Aheimar. in Sector E, Tell Seker al-Aheimar. Repeated floor plastering is
evident.
fore, the first four phases that were newly identified at Tell
Seker al-Aheimar provide us with important insights into the THE OLDEST POTTERY NEOLITHIC OF TELL
Neolithic cultural development ofthis region. Among these, we SEKER AL-AHEIMAR
would like to focus on the oldest PotteryNeolithic phase, ten
tatively termed as "Pre-Proto-Hassuna"13, which is new not
only to the Khabur but also to Upper Mesopotamia in general. MATERIAL CULTURE
13. This admittedly awkward term is used in the present paper simply to
indicate that the period concerned predates the Proto-Hassuna. When future
studies show that it represents a specific Khabur group within the Proto-Has
sunacultural area, an entity name such as Seker or Sekerian could also be used
after the site of Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
The stratigraphy of Tell Seker al-Aheimar indicates the
Pre-Proto-Hassuna as being an intermediate phase between
me PPNB and the Proto-Hassuna. Very similar to the architecture
outlined in the previous section, material remains such
Paléorient, vol. 31/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005
The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia : New evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast Syria 59
Fig. 6 : Water-channel ofthe Pre Proto-Hassuna phase in Sector E,
Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
as flaked stone artefacts also indicate this intermediate nature
(fig. 7)14. An example is the gradual change in the use of
obsidian. Obsidian was relatively uncommon in the Middle
PPNB phase, occupying only approximately 20 %-30 % of
the total lithics, but in the Late PPNB, its proportion rapidly
increased to 50 %-70 %. From the Pre-Proto-Hassuna phase,
it gradually decreased to approximately 20%-10% in the
Proto-Hassuna phase. Typologically, from the Pre-Proto-Has
sunaonwards, there was a decline in the manufacture of
Cayônii tools (fig. 7 : 10), which were the most popular ofthe
obsidian tools during the Late PPNB phases. On the other
hand, the manufacture of side-blow blade-flakes (fig. 7 : 11),
which appeared during the Late PPNB, increased over the
Pre-Proto-Hassuna and became popular during the Proto-Hass
una.Regarding flint technology, blade production, which
was comparatively common during the Late PPNB, decreased
in popularity from the Pre-Proto-Hassuna to the Proto-Hass
una.During this period, the proportion ofblades among flint
blanks dropped from approximately 30 % to less than 10 %.
In tool typology, the notable changes from the PPNB to the
Pre-Proto-Hassuna are the decrease of end-scrapers, the
increase of burins and glossed pieces and the more diversified
manifestation of arrowhead types. The arrowheads of the PreProto-Hassuna
phase include a larger number of Amuq and
Nemrik points (fig. 7 : 3) as compared with those in the Late
PPNB, when the Byblos points were dominant.
Further, other types of artefacts belonging to the PreProto-Hassuna,
- such as bone tools, gypsum objects, stone
ornaments, stone vessels, ground stones, clay figurines, etc.
(fig. 8) -, exhibited the characteristics of both the PPNB and
the Proto-Hassuna phases. The gypsum objects are particu
larlynoteworthy. Small quantities of white ware (vessels
made ofgypsum) appeared during the Late PPNB ; this ware
became considerably more common during the Pre-ProtoHassuna
and decreased during the Proto-Hassuna. The PreProto-Hassuna
is the period with the richest collection ofgyp
sum objects at Seker al-Aheimar. These include not only ves
sels with a variety of shapes but also possible ritual objects.
Of special interest among the latter are the unique objects with
several animal jaws embedded in parallel (fig. 8 : 7)15. Over
ten examples ofthis curious group ofobjects were discovered
in the Pre-Proto-Hassuna levels of Sectors А, С and E. An
almost identical gypsum object is known in the Proto-Has
sunaphase at Umm Dabaghiyah16, suggesting a link between
the Pre-Proto-Hassuna of Seker al-Aheimar and the ProtoHassuna
of Iraq.
While these artefact classifications and the architectural
remains display chronological changes over the different
phases, the changes appear to represent continuous processes,
in which the Pre-Proto-Hassuna connects with the Late PPNB
and the Proto-Hassuna. Needless to say, there does exist an
element that is specific to the Pre-Proto-Hassuna. This is in
the form of a distinct group of pottery, which will be
described below in some detail.
POTTERY
The best evidence of ceramic at Seker al-Aheimar comes
from Sector A. In this sector, the sequence consists of at least
1 1 occupation levels. The upper levels are from the ProtoHassuna
(Levels 4 to 6)17 and the lower ones are from the PreProto-Hassuna
(Levels 7 to 15, and possibly further levels
below). Proto-Hassuna pottery is characterised by light col
oured paste, mostly plant tempered (over 80 % or even 90 %
of the entire assemblage), closed carinated shapes with con
cave bodies and plastic or painted decorations. Its assemblage
includes light coloured wares, with or without plant tempering
(in the last case, the mineral inclusions are small in size),
14. NISHIAKI, 2004b, in press.
15. NISHIAKI, 2002.
16. Stuart Campbell, pers. comm.
17. Levels 1-3 ofSector A belong to the Chalcolithic period.
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60 Y. NISHIAKI and M. LE MlÈRE
3cm
11
12 t
Fig. 7 : PPNB and Pre Proto-Hassunaflaked stone artefactsfrom Tell Seker al-Aheimar. 1 : bullet core ; 2 : Byblos point ; 3 : Nemrik point
,
4 : Amuq point ; 5-6 : sickle elements ; 7 : burin ; 8 : bullet core ; 9 : unretouched blade ; 10 : Cayônti tool ; 11 : side-blow blade-flake
,
12 : burin ; 13 : corner-thinned blade, Balikh type. (1-7 :flint ; 8-13 : obsidian ; 1 &5 : LPPNB ; others : Pre-Proto-Hassuna).
Paléorient, vol. 31/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005
The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia : New evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast Syria 61
Fig. 8 : Pre-Proto-Hassuna objects from Tell Seker al-Aheimar. 1 :
stone bead ; 2 : clay figurine ; 3 : stone bracelet ; 4 : basalt
handstone ; 5 : marble bowl ; 6 : bone spatula ; 7 : gypsum object.
Grey-Black Ware and also some imported Dark-Faced Bur
nished Ware18. In contrast to the primarily plant tempered
Proto-Hassuna pottery, Pre-Proto-Hassuna pottery is exclu
sively mineral tempered, unknown to date in the Khabur val
ley. The following two wares can be recognised in the
material that is available thus far (figs 9 and 10)19.
The first type of ware is rather dark in colour, with a dark
grey or black surface and paste. The paste mainly contains
white-coloured inclusions, which, at first, were suspected to
be calcite. However, a series ofthin-sections of sherds of this
ware revealed that the white inclusions were not calcite but
mainly volcanic. In many examples these inclusions were a
volcanic mineral containing carbonates called carbonatite,
and occasionally, limestone20. One ofthe main characteristics
of this ware was its variability in type, size and quantity of
inclusions. Earlier in this paper, this has been referred to as
mineral tempered ware but whether these inclusions were nat
urally present in the clay or intentionally added to it remains
to be determined. We will provisionally refer to this ware as
"Early Dark Ware". The surfaces of this ware are always bur
nished, often strongly. This ware is characterised by very sim
ple shapes (fig. 9 : 1-3), mainly closed and holemouth,
sometimes vertical but never open, with convex bodies and
large flat bottoms ; the rims are often very regular with a flat
top. It is never decorated.
The colour of the second mineral tempered ware ranges
from dark beige to dark brown ; the reddish-brown colour was
10cm
Fig. 9 : Pre-Proto-Hassuna pottery from Tell Seker al-Aheimar. 1-
3 : Early Dark Ware ; 4-8 : Basalt Tempered Ware.
18. For the definition ofthese wares, see LE MlÈRE, 2001 : 1 80- 1 8 1 .
19. The material available thus far is limited; therefore, all indications
should be considered with caution.
20. We wish to thank Maurice Picon and Gisela Thierin for these prelim
inaryindications. Further mineralogical and chemical studies will complete
these data.
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62 Y. NISHIAKI and M. LE MlÈRE
Fig. 10 : Pre-Proto-Hassuna pottery from Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
1-6 : plant and basalt tempered pottery.
a common occurrence. The paste also contains volcanic inclu
sions - in this case, clearly basalt - often very abundant and
very large. In the event of plentiful basalt inclusions, particu
larlywhen of a large size, the pottery is extremely heavy. Pro
visionally, we propose to refer to this new type of pottery as
"Basalt Tempered Ware". Although the study of this material is
still in progress, it appears probable that, at least in several
examples, basalt was added to the clay. This ware was also
always burnished, often strongly. The shapes (fig. 9 : 4-6) are
very similar to those from the "Early Dark Ware" ; however,
some lugs and a few concave bodies, seemingly not yet present
in the earliest levels, appeared somewhat later. Painted decorat
ions,very rarely occurring on this type ofware, also appeared
at a later level ; however, they are not present in the levels con
taining only mineral tempered pottery.
The earliest pottery of Seker al-Aheimar was mineral tem
pered but plant tempering came into use shortly after that. Ini
tially, this pottery was commonly associated with mineral
(basalt) tempering. Plant temper was not very abundant and
was very large in size. This plant and basalt tempered pottery
was almost always burnished, and strongly so. Its shapes
(fig. 10), still very comparable to those of the mineral tem
pered wares, became more elaborate, exhibiting some carinations,
and the lugs were more numerous and varied. In a
manner similar to Basalt-Tempered Ware, it is sometimes
painted later on.
Gradually, plant tempering was used without basalt, and
the occurrence of rare and/or very large plant tempering
decreased. It must be emphasised that the successive replace
mentof wares occurred in a very progressive manner. Early
Dark Ware completely disappeared from Level 8, where
Basalt Tempered Ware was already rare (< 3%) ; it was
replaced by plant and basalt tempered pottery. This type
became quite rare in Level 6 and disappeared in Level 5. Plant
tempered pottery developed simultaneously ; a type of fine
pottery with small mineral inclusions appeared from Level 8
onwards. Further, Grey-Black Ware (see above) as well as
painted decoration is present in a significant quantity from
Level 6 onwards. Accordingly, from this level on, pottery
assemblages were of the Proto-Hassuna type. The Proto-Hassuna
sequence, which displays some evolution, is still under
study and will be reported elsewhere.
In summation, the Pre-Proto-Hassuna phase of Seker alAheimar
begins with mineral tempered pottery. Plant temper
ingappeared at a later stage and was initially used together
with mineral tempering. Subsequently, plant tempered pottery
developed to be, by far, the main group ofpottery, and it was
assembled with a small group of fine pottery that contained no
plant inclusions and some other specific wares ; these were
very limited in quantity. Thus, the early mineral tempered
wares were progressively replaced by a Proto-Hassuna assem
blageat this site.
DATING
Atthis point, it appears appropriate to refer to the sites su
rveyed by a Yale University team21 in the neighbouring region,
which could also testify to the occupations during this time
period. Tell Feyda, situated on the Khabur- approximately 20
km downstream from Seker al-Aheimar - was once reported
as a PPNB site ; nevertheless, the possibility had remained
that its small sounding failed to recover sherds22. Indeed, an
21. HOLE, 2001.
22. Ibid. : 68.
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The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia : New evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast Syria 63
on-going re-examination of the surface material has revealed
the presence of sherds that possibly predate the Proto-Hassuna
phase23. The reported radiocarbon dates of Tell Feyda,
or 7 710 +/- 85 BP and 7 945 +/- 85 BP24, also place this site
in the range of the Pre-Proto-Hassuna phase of Seker al-Ahe
imar.Further, some mineral tempered sherds collected on the
Jabal Abdul Aziz- which is also under study, may turn out to
be the Pre-Proto-Hassuna25 as well. Accordingly, Pre-ProtoHassuna
settlements, such as Seker al-Aheimar, could have
formed a cultural horizon on the Upper Khabur during the
early centuries of the 8th millennium BP (the 7th millennium
cal. ВС).
DISCUSSION
The above lines of evidence show that there exists a new
Pottery Neolithic phase predating the Proto-Hassuna in the
Khaburbasin. In order to place this new phase in an appropriate
context, we shall examine its relationship with the Late PPNB
and the Proto-Hassuna phase from a regional perspective.
The PPNB of Seker al-Aheimar shows affinities with the
PPNB tradition distributed in the East Taurus highlands and
their foothills. As mentioned earlier, its architectural tradition
is shared with Cayômi, and perhaps also with Cafer Hôyiik26
in southeast Anatolia and Tell Maghzaliyah27 in northern
Iraq. To the contrary, it was markedly different from the
architecture in the lowlands towards the west, where rectan
gularmud-brick architecture built on the ground was com
mon, as identified at Halula and Abu Hureyra. The popularity
of obsidian and the manufacture of Cayônu tools during the
Late PPNB also indicate similarities with the East Taurus
group. At the same time, it should be noted that a unique
aspect also exists in the material culture ofTell Seker al-Ahe
imar.It is the virtual absence of bipolar core technology for
flint and obsidian reduction. Albeit not always abundantly,
bipolar technology -a.fossil directeur ofthe PPNB to the westwas
known at settlements in East Taurus, as exemplified at
Cayônii28 and Cafer Hôyiik29. On the other hand, to date,
23. Frank Hole, pers. comm.
24. HOLE, 2001 : 68.
25. HOLE, 2004.
26. CAUVIN e/ a/., 1999.
27. BADER, 1989 ; BlCAKCI, 1998.
28. CANEVAeia/.,1998.
29. CAUVIN eř a/., 1999.
there has been no evidence of its local use at Tell Seker alAheimar30.
When blades produced from bipolar cores were
found, these were identified as imported. The local blade pro
duction was almost exclusively here using single-platform
cores, either by percussion or by pressure debitage (fig. 7:1,
5). This suggests an affiliation with the east, Tell Maghzali
yah31and further afield. As such, the PPNB of Seker al-Ahe
imarappears to represent a local faciès of Upper
Mesopotamia, which is most likely to have been a member of
the non-Levantine, East Taurus group. It was this entity that
began to use Pre-Proto-Hassuna pottery at its latest stage.
On comparing the Pre-Proto-Hassuna pottery with the
early pottery from other regions, it is preferable to look to the
west including the Syrian lowlands, since no comparable
materials have been reported from the north and the east. In
previous studies, one of us defined three different stages for
the first development ofpottery production in the Near East32.
Thus far, the first stage has hinted at only a few sites {e.g. Ras
Shamra and Ain el-Kerkh) that correspond to initial attempts
at making pottery. This stage is represented by a technically
primitive ware, which soon disappeared. The second stage
occurs at a larger number of sites, particularly in certain areas
of the Syrian Jazirah, namely the Euphrates valley (Kumar
tepe) and the Balikh valley (Tell Assouad, Tell Damishliyah
and Giircii Tepe among others). The pottery there was still
very simple, with a maximum oftwo different wares, a strong
pre-eminence of plant tempering - often ofa very large size -,
very simple shapes and very rare decoration. The third stage
is identified by a spreading out of the technique. Atthis stage,
pottery was found at all sites except in the Syrian Desert and
the southern Levant, where the pottery technique appeared a
few hundred years later. The pottery at this stage displays
more variation in terms of wares, shapes and decoration, and
introduction of regional diversification. Proto-Hassuna pot
tery, commonly found in the Khabur basin, belongs to this
stage.
The Pre-Proto-Hassuna pottery from Tell Seker al-Ahei
marexhibits certain elements (few ware variations, simple
shapes, and an absence of decoration) that are reminiscent of
the second stage pottery from the Euphrates and Balikh val
leys. Yet, one important element was unknown from the latter
until recently ; it is the presence, at the beginning of the
sequence, of pottery that was exclusively mineral tempered.
30. NISHIAKI, 2004b, in press.
31. BADER, 1989 : 58.
32. LE MIÈRE and PICON, 1998, 2003.
Paléorient, vol. 31/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005
64 Y. NlSHIAKI and M. LE MlÈRE
However, during the time that investigations on Tell Seker alAheimar
were commenced, Akarçay Tepe on the Euphrates of
Turkey provided a new pottery sequence in the oldest levels
with pottery that was exclusively mineral tempered. The tem
perused in this case was crushed calcite there33. It was also
revealed that plant tempering, often rather rare and of very
large size, appeared progressively in the same manner as it did
in Tell Seker al-Aheimar, first associated with mineral tem
pering, and after some time it was used exclusively and
became the main temper. Gradually, Pre-Halaf assemblages,
characteristic of North Syria-Cilicia at the third stage of
development of pottery34, then settled. Early mineral tem
pered pottery has also been found at Mezraa-Teleilat, a few
kilometres north ofAkarçay35. Further, most recent investiga
tionsat Tell Sabi Abyad in the Balikh valley also produced
new evidence to suggest the same sequence, or at least part of
it, in the Balikh valley36.
Consequently, the oldest Pottery Neolithic of the Euphrat
esand possibly the Balikh valleys also includes a new phase
that is characterised by the exclusivity of mineral tempered
pottery37. Whether this new phase represents a new stage in
the development of pottery or only an early phase in the sec
ond stage is not yet clear : while the exclusive mineral temper
ingsets this pottery group apart from most of the second-stage
materials, the similarity of shapes is pleading for an early
phase within the same stage. An important element in this di
scussion is the very progressive evolution of pottery in the
sequences that we are already aware of.
The link between these new wares and the first stage of the
pottery development of other regions is still unclear. On the
basis of evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, one can sug
gest an equivalent incipient nature in the Pre-Proto-Hassuna
pottery production. First, Late PPNB levels exist at Tell Seker
al-Aheimar, immediately preceding the levels where pottery
appears. Second, pottery in these levels is scarce to the point
that when their excavation was enlarged sherds were revealed
at levels that were first believed to be aceramic38. Further, and
33. Joseph-Miquel Faura and Yutaka Miyake, pers. comm. ; ARIMURA et
al, 2000.
34. LE MlÈRE and PICON, 1998.
35. KARUL et al, 2003, 2004.
36. Peter M.M.G. Akkermans, pers. comm.
37. This does notnecessarily mean that these areas share the same cultural
entity in this stage. For instance, the architecture and other artifact remains
such as figurines associated with mineral-tempered pottery at Mezraa-Teleilat,
the Upper Euphrates, are strikingly different from those of Seker al-Aheimar
(KARUL et al, 2003, 2004 ; ÔZDOGAN, 2003).
38. NlSHIAKI, 2001.
more importantly, the pastes of the Early Dark Ware have an
extremely large variability in the type, size and quantity of
mineral inclusions. This could imply trials in pottery making,
as does the early disappearing of this ware followed by the
disappearance of Basalt Tempered Ware, which was possibly
discarded for technical unsuitability (the weight and breakability
of Basalt Tempered Ware, for example).
These observations could place the Pre-Proto-Hassuna at
a very early stage ofpottery production in the Khabur basin.
Meanwhile, whether the first pottery was locally made is
debatable : in Seker al-Aheimar, carbonatite, used as temper
for some of the earliest pottery, is an extremely rare mineral
and further geological investigations are necessary to deter
mine if it is available in the Khabur basin. It is even possible
that the technique was imported, if not the pottery itself. At
Akarçay Tepe, where an almost similar pottery sequence is
known to have existed, chemical analyses demonstrated that
its earliest mineral tempered ware was probably imported39,
indicating the preceding development of the pottery technique
in some yet unknown region.
Another important issue is the relationship of the PreProto-Hassuna
with the Proto-Hassuna, notably in northern
Iraq. The possible evolution of pottery over this period at Tell
Seker al-Aheimar raises a new question on the temporal posi
tion of Proto-Hassuna sites in Upper Mesopotamia. In north
ernIraq, Proto-Hassuna appears as the oldest entity at all the
known Pottery Neolithic settlements such as Hassuna, Umm
Dabaghiyah, Tell Sotto and Telul eth-Thalathat40. Its pottery
is quite comparable to the Proto-Hassuna pottery of the
Khabur41 ; however, here it is not the oldest type of pottery.
It would be useful to examine the radiocarbon dates from
the relevant Proto-Hassuna sites. The radiocarbon dates pre
viously reported for Tell Kashkashok II42 on the Khabur are
too diverse to be considered reliable. The dates for Iraqi sites
from old excavations at Telul eth-Thalathat II43 and Sotto44,
also require verification. Meanwhile, a series of charcoal sam
ples from Kashkashok II and Thalathat II kept at the Univers
ityMuseum of the University of Tokyo was subjected to
reanalysis in 2004 ; this resulted in the production of the dates
listed in table 2 (fig. 11). These new dates from Kashkashok
39. LE MlÈRE and PICON, 2003
:
185. The earliest pottery of Mezraa-Tele
ilathas also been interpreted as imported (KARUL et al, 2003).
40. Le MlÈRE and PICON, 1998.
41. LE MlÈRE, 2000.
42. MATSUTANI, 1991.
43. FUKAI and MATSUTANI, 1981.
44. BADER, 1989:313-314.
Paléorient, vol. 31/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005
The oldest pottery Neolithic of Upper Mesopotamia
:
New evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast Syria 65
Table 1 : Radiocarbon datesfor the Late PPNB and Pre-Proto-Hassuna levels of Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
Sample
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
Level 9, Sector A
Level 9, Sector A
Level 10, Sector A
Level 10, Sector A
Level 3, Sector С
Level 3, Sector С
Level 3, Sector С
Level 3, Sector С
Level 4, Sector С
Level 4, Sector E
Level 8, Sector С
Level 5, Sector E
Period
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Late PPNB
Pre Proto-Hassuna
Date
7750+/-80
7800+/- 100
7820+/-80
7880+/-110
7780+/-110
7820+/- 100
7900+/- 120
7900+/- 160
7830+/-90
7890+/-200
8065+/-45
7540+/-45
Lab. No.
TKa-12714
TKa- 12333
TKa-12715
TKa-12332
TKa- 12331
TKa-12465
TKa- 127 17
TKa-12330
TKa- 12466
TKa-12329
MTC-04347
MTC-04349
Code
SEK01-A-93
SEK01-A-100
SEK01-A-105
SEK01-A-108
SEK00-C5-34
SEK01-C3-4
SEK01-C1-11
SEK01-C7-51
SEK0l-C10-23
SEK01-E4-4
SEK03-C13-72
SEK03-E10-17
Notes
Charcoal ; Room-fill in A
Charcoal ; Room-fill in A
Charcoal ; Room-fill in A
Charcoal ; Room-fill in A
Charcoal ; Reddish brown loam in C5
Charcoal ; Oven in C3
Charcoal ; Reddish brown loam in Cl
Charcoal ; Building debris in C7
Charcoal ; Reddish brown loam in C10
Charcoal ; Building debris in E4
Charcoal ; Building debris in C13
Charcoal ; Burnt soil in ЕЮ
Table 2 : New radiocarbon datesfor the Proto-Hassuna levels of Tell Kashkashok II and Telul eth-Thalathat II.
Sample Period Date Lab. No. Code Notes
Kashkashok II
#1
#2
#3
#4
Layer 3
Layer 3
Layer 3
Layer 3
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
7360+/-80
7480+/- 100
7470+/-90
7460+/-110
TKa- 127 19
TKa-12720
TKa-12721
TKa- 12722
88KK2-01
88KK2-02
88KK2-03
88KK2-04
Charcoal ; Gypsum bin in Sq. E6
Charred grain ; Ash pit in Sq. E8
Charred grain ; Ash pit in Sq. E8
Charcoal ; Gypsum bin in Sq. E8
Thalathat II*
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
Level 15/16
Level 15/16
Level 15/16
Level 15/16
Level 15/16
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
Proto-Hassuna
7600+/-60
7620+/-50
7520+/-60
7450+/-60
7470+/-60
TKa- 13420
TKa-13421
TKa- 13418
TKa- 13422
TKa-13419
5ThII-SS68
5ThII-SS81
5ThII-SS53
5ThII-SS84
5ThII-SS61
Charcoal ; Hearth in Sq. NVIII
Charcoal ; Ash layer in Sq. OVIII
Charcoal ; Ash layer in Sq. NIX
Charcoal ; Kiln pit (KP210) in Sq. MIX
Charcoal ; Pit (P202) in Sq. MIX
* Two levels are amalgamed here, because the stratigraphie division in the original report (FUKAI and MATSUTANI, 1976) is no longer supported
(MATSUTANI and NlSHIAKI, 1998).
clearly point to the mid-8th millennium BP (the second/third
quarter ofthe 7th millennium cal. ВС). The dates for Thalathat
II are also concentrated around the same period. Interestingly,
one ofthe dates from Seker al-Aheimar, evidently too recent
for its stratigraphy (#12 in table 1), is completely within the
range of dates from Kashkashok II and Thalathat II. It may
indicate a date for the Proto-Hassuna at Seker al-Aheimar,
whose sample might have been intrusive in an earlier layer
due to slope erosion or root action.
In either case, the dates indicate that these Proto-Hassuna
assemblages are not as old as previously believed. Despite the
absence of secure dates, recent overviews of the Neolithic
chronology ofUpper Mesopotamia45 regard the beginning of
the Proto-Hassuna phase to be approximately 8 000 BP, when
the PPNB ended in much of the Syrian Jazirah. If the new
dates, although admittedly still limited, are sufficiently relia
ble,what were in Upper Mesopotamia during the early centu
riesof the 8th millennium BP ? This time period is evidently
filled with the Pre-Proto-Hassuna entity on the Khabur, but
45. Cf. Matthews, 2000 ; Anatasio et al, 2004.
Paieraient, vol. 31/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005
66 Y. NlSHIAKI and M. LE MIÈRE
Atmotphaicdata firom Staiveret al. (1998); OxCal v3.9 Bronk Ranuey (2003); cub r4 *d 12 prob utp[chron]
TKa-12719 7360±80BP
TKa-12722 7460±110BP
TKa-12721 7470±90BP
TKa-12720 7480±100BP
TKa- 13422 7450±60BP
TKa-13419 7470±60BP
TKa-13418 7520±60BP
TKa-13420 7600±60BP
TKa-13421 7620±50BP
TKa-12714 7750±80BP
TKa- 12333 7800±100BP
TKa- 1271 5 7820±80BP
TKa-12332 788ОШ0ВР
TKa-12331 7780±110BP
TKa-12465 7820±100BP
TKa-12717 7900±120BP
TKa-12466 7830±90BP
MTC-04347 8065±45BP
KK2
TH2
SKR
SKR
(PPNB)
8000CalBC 7500CalBC 7000CalBC 6500CalBC бОООСаЮС 55OOCalBC
Fig. 11 : Calibrated radiocarbon datesfor Tell Seker al-Aheimar (SKR), Tell Kashhashok II, (KK2) and Telul eth-Thalathat II (ГН2).
the situation in northern Iraq is uncertain. The possibility ered in a reportedly PPNB level of Maghzaliyah47. Bearing in
exists that the PPNB persisted as the final PPNB46. If this is mind this and the fact that sherds are very rare in the Prenot
the case, then the Pre-Proto-Hassuna or the much older Proto-Hassuna levels of Seker al-Aheimar, such a situation as
Proto-Hassuna settlements may have remained undiscovered in the Khabur basin may not have been completely unlikely to
in Iraq. We can recall that at least one sherd had been recov- be the case in northern Iraq as well. Unfortunately, however,
46. MAZULOWSKI, 1997 : 175-176. 47. BADER, 1989 : 105.
Paléorient, vol. 31/2, p. 55-68 © CNRS ÉDITIONS 2005
The oldest pottery Neolithic ofUpper Mesopotamia : New evidence from Tell Seker al-Aheimar, the Khabur, northeast Syria 67
this question cannot be explored further with the existing evi
dence.
CONCLUSION
Due to the lack ofstratified sites, the Neolithic period of the
Upper Khabur has always been discussed either from the view
point of excavations of a few short-period sites, surveys, or
from the data accumulated from the neighbouring regions. The
exposure of the long sequence at Tell Seker al-Aheimar has
considerably improved our current knowledge on the cultural
developments ofthe Neolithic Khabur. First, it attests to contin
uousoccupations from the PPNB to the Pottery Neolithic. Sec
ond, it shows that the emergence of pottery production on the
Khabur was in tandem with that in other regions of the Syrian
Jazirah, almost during the same period. The oldest PotteryNeol
ithic revealed was not Proto-Hassuna but what this paper refers
to as "Pre-Proto-Hassuna". Third, the sequence indicates that
the oldest pottery industry of the Khabur was gradually tran
sformed into Proto-Hassuna over the initial centuries of the 8th
millennium BP (7th millennium cal. ВС).
The unique evidence discovered at Tell Seker al-Aheimar
as well as the radiocarbon dates reported here underscore the
necessity of reconsidering the Pottery Neolithic framework of
the region. The Pottery Neolithic phases dealt with in fact cor
respond to an important period marked by a range of major
cultural changes in Upper Mesopotamia. The most remarkab
leof these is the change in the settlement pattern during the
Proto-Hassuna, which marks the onset of the extensive
exploitation ofthis large fertile plain. A solid temporal frame
work is indispensable in order to provide an adequate expla
nation regarding the backgrounds ofthis and other significant
changes in this period. Although we do not know the extent to
which the above picture is applicable to the Iraqi plain, the
sequence at Tell Seker al-Aheimar provides us with such a
basis for the Khabur, which can be used for further analyses
ofthe archaeological records.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank Dr. Bassam Jamous, Dr. Tammam Fakouch,
Dr. Michel al-Maqdassi, Mr. Ahmed Taraqji and the entire staff of
the Directorate General ofAntiquities and Museums, Syria, for per
mission to conduct our research at Seker al-Aheimar. The local
assistance provided by Mr. Abdul Mashih Bagdoo, Mr. Orhan Nano,
Mr. Khaled Ahmo, Mr. Maufaqa Daher and other staff at the Depart
mentof Antiquities, Hassake, is also much appreciated. Mr. Yaser
Shohan of the Department of Antiquities, Deir ez-Zor, similarly
gave us significant assistance. Dr. Kunio Yoshida, the Radiocarbon
Laboratory of the University of Tokyokindly offered us the radio
carbon dates discussed in this paper. Among others who made con
tributions, our special thanks go to Dr. Bertille Lyonnet of CNRS ;
without her survey project, we would not have discovered the site of
Tell Seker al-Aheimar.
The financial support for this project was obtained from the
Takanashi Foundation (2000), Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (2001-2005), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and
Science, Japan (2005), and the Mitsubishi Foundation (2002-2005).
Yoshihiro NISHIAKI
The University Museum
The University of Tokyo
Hongo 7-3-1
Tokyo 113-0033
Japon
nishiaki@um.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Marie LE MlÈRE
UMR 5133 Archéorient
Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée
7, rue Raulin
F-69365Lyon Cedex 07
marie.le-miere@mom.fr
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