This dissertation examines the construction, organization, and social significance of the Dunnu of Tell Sabi Abyad, a uniquely well-preserved fortified settlement from the Middle Assyrian period (ca. 1230 - 1180 BCE) in northern Syria. Combining archaeological, architectural, and textual evidence, it explores how the built environment reflects imperial strategies or the agency of inhabitants while adjusting the settlement to the needs of daily life.
Tell Sabi Abyad, often described as a fortified agricultural and administrative centre, offers the only nearly complete example of a dunnu. Its strategic location in the Balikh Valley and its role within Assyrian expansion influenced its design and multifunctional nature. The study reconstructs building phases, analyses mudbrick construction techniques, and examines spatial layout, movement routes, lighting, ventilation, and defensive structures. Evidence shows that construction was carefully planned and later modified in...
Show moreThis dissertation examines the construction, organization, and social significance of the Dunnu of Tell Sabi Abyad, a uniquely well-preserved fortified settlement from the Middle Assyrian period (ca. 1230 - 1180 BCE) in northern Syria. Combining archaeological, architectural, and textual evidence, it explores how the built environment reflects imperial strategies or the agency of inhabitants while adjusting the settlement to the needs of daily life.
Tell Sabi Abyad, often described as a fortified agricultural and administrative centre, offers the only nearly complete example of a dunnu. Its strategic location in the Balikh Valley and its role within Assyrian expansion influenced its design and multifunctional nature. The study reconstructs building phases, analyses mudbrick construction techniques, and examines spatial layout, movement routes, lighting, ventilation, and defensive structures. Evidence shows that construction was carefully planned and later modified in clusters indicating these interventions were likely deliberate reorganizations rather than responses to decay. Overall, the Dunnu reflects purposeful, top-down planning that structured labour, movement, and hierarchy. Methodologically, the research shows how reanalysis of older excavation data can reveal new insights while underscoring the need for microstratigraphic, petrographic and digital analysis to improve the understanding of archaeological construction contexts in the future.
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