Some twenty-five years ago, hundreds of clay sealings as well as a series of stone stamp seals were foundin excavation at Tell Sabi Abyad in Syria. Dating to the late seventh millennium cal. BC,... Show moreSome twenty-five years ago, hundreds of clay sealings as well as a series of stone stamp seals were foundin excavation at Tell Sabi Abyad in Syria. Dating to the late seventh millennium cal. BC, the find repre-sents one of the largest assemblages of prehistoric sealings known in the Near East until now. By now, evenmore seals and sealings have been found at the site. Their occurrence in securely stratified contexts allowed for interpretations about their use in controlled storage events by pastoralists. This paper is primarilyconcerned with the date of introduction of the sealing practice at Tell Sabi Abyad and its embedding inthe wider cultural setting of the time. Show less
The Late Neolithic period in Upper Mesopotamia is generally associated with a surge in human settlement, in terms of their number, geographic distribution, and organizational complexity. In... Show moreThe Late Neolithic period in Upper Mesopotamia is generally associated with a surge in human settlement, in terms of their number, geographic distribution, and organizational complexity. In archaeological discussion, the “advanced farming village” is often seen as the logical “end product” of the agricultural transformations that began in the Early (“Pre-Pottery”) Neolithic. However, the complex later prehistoric landscape did not emerge overnight. Current evidence suggests that this profound transformation took about one and a half millennia, and showed much localized variability. Over the past decades, regional surveys have resulted in a rich body of evidence that stimulates the exploration of long-term trends in settlement through the Neolithic period. Here we present a synthesis of this exploration. We highlight some important methodological and conceptual challenges to interpreting these data, and we point out a number of possible shifts in the ways Late Neolithic communities inhabited the landscape. Show less
The assemblage of Late Bronze Age burials from Tell Sabi Abyad provides us with a unique window into the burial customs of the burgeoning Middle Assyrian Empire in the former lands of Hanigalbat.... Show moreThe assemblage of Late Bronze Age burials from Tell Sabi Abyad provides us with a unique window into the burial customs of the burgeoning Middle Assyrian Empire in the former lands of Hanigalbat. Our understanding of the settlement is aided by the fact that the site has been more or less completely excavated, and because we have rich in situ contexts that include nearly 400 cuneiform tablets. The burial assemblage is remarkable because of the diverse nature of the burial customs attested at the site. This diversity can be seen in the different types of interment and in treatment of the body, as well as in the nature of the grave goods. In this paper, we will provide an overview of this diversity, and we will discuss what it can tell us about Middle Assyrian society at the site of Tell Sabi Abyad and beyond. Show less
