The halaf period in northern Mesopotamia
The Halaf culture is one of the most important and involved problems in the prehistory of northern Mesopotamia. Although Halaf pottery has been discovered at many sites since 1935, only a few have produced a reliable sequence. The Halaf settlement at Arpachiyah, which is a 7.5 m thick deposit, provides us with most of what we know of the Halaf stratigraphic sequence, and therefore is a key site for comparative studies. Such an accumulation reflects a very lengthy occupation, and may represent the full duration of Halaf culture. It is the only site thus far to yield a wide range of stratified pottery of early Halaf period. For the reasons above, we chose Arpachiyah to re-excavate. The basis of this study is the results of our excavation, which was undertaken as an expansion of SirMax Mallowan's 1933 season at Arpachiyah and to check and to improve on the archaeological sequence that he published in 1935. The principal aims of this thesis are: 1. To examine the stratigraphy of the site in relation to the development of the shapes and the designs of Halaf pottery and other Halaf culture materials. We have classified the Halaf pottery and other objects from Arpachiyah in four periods according to their appearance
Hijara, I. H.
History
The halaf period in northern Mesopotamia. The Halaf culture is one of the most important and involved problems in the prehistory of northern Mesopotamia. Although Halaf pottery has been discovered at many sites since 1935, only a few have produced a reliable sequence. The Halaf settlement at Arpachiyah, which is a 7.5 m thick deposit, provides us with most of what we know of the Halaf stratigraphic sequence, and therefore is a key site for comparative studies. Such an accumulation reflects a very lengthy occupation, and may represent the full duration of Halaf culture. It is the only site thus far to yield a wide range of stratified pottery of early Halaf period. For the reasons above, we chose Arpachiyah to re-excavate. The basis of this study is the results of our excavation, which was undertaken as an expansion of SirMax Mallowan's 1933 season at Arpachiyah and to check and to improve on the archaeological sequence that he published in 1935. The principal aims of this thesis are: 1. To examine the stratigraphy of the site in relation to the development of the shapes and the designs of Halaf pottery and other Halaf culture materials. We have classified the Halaf pottery and other objects from Arpachiyah in four periods according to their appearance
period northern_mesopotamia culture one_important involve problem prehistory northern_mesopotamia although pottery discover many site since produce reliable sequence settlement thick deposit provide know stratigraphic_sequence therefore key_site comparative_study accumulation reflect lengthy occupation may_represent full duration culture site thus_far yield wide_range stratify pottery early period reason_choose excavate basis study excavation undertaken expansion season check improve archaeological_sequence publish principal_aim examine stratigraphy site relation development shape design pottery culture material classify pottery object period accord appearance