Archaeological Survey in the Hama Region 2003–2005

Abstract

As in many other regions of the Levant, extensive settlement began in the middle of the 3rd mill. bc in the surroundings of the city of Hama as well. From that point in time onwards continuous use of this most important settlement area in the region, that is, the river valleys and the immediately bordering areas, is evidenced. Particularly noteworthy are the enduring concentration of habitation at a few large settlements near the rivers, on one hand, and, on the other, the widely absence of settlement traces in the relatively barren limestone regions to the west. The use of the latter area began rather late, to greater extent only in Late Roman/Early Byzantine times, when numerous smaller settlements arose there. This pattern continues into the Middle Islamic period, whereas it has not been evidenced yet in Early Islamic times. The absence of evidence from further periods of time, such as Iron Age I and III, does not necessarily reflect the original data, but is likely due to insufficient knowledge about the material culture of these temporal units. In view of the extraordinarily favourable abundance of natural resources in the Hama region, times of complete absence of settlement are hard to imagine.