Pottery from Surveys and Excavations at Tell Dehaila-1 (2018–2021)

Abstract

Tell Dehaila-1 (EP-34 of Henry Wright’s survey) is located in Southern Iraq in the same natu-ral environment as the previously excavated sites of Eridu (26 km southeast), Ur (30 km east), and Tell Khaiber (17 km northeast), where it is one of the largest settlements of the Old Baby-lonian period (47 ha). Of the approximately 400 potsherds recorded during surveys and exca-vations at Tell Dehaila-1 by the Iraqi-Russian project in 2018–2021, the present study exam-ines only small and medium-sized forms, mainly bowls, cups and jugs, since these are the most chronologically and culturally diagnostic. The Tell Dehaila-1 assemblage generally corre-sponds to the Old Babylonian tradition, but has its own idiosyncrasies. It is not yet possible to determine whether these idiosyncrasies are chronologically driven or are the result of regional variation. The closest comparable assemblage is from Phase III (c. 1800–1600 BC) at Tell Yelkhi in the Hamrin. Stratigraphic and morphological considerations make us distinguish three periods of habitation in the excavated areas of Tell Dehaila-1: 1) the main Old Babyloni-an city; 2) a rather thin “tannur layer” with vessel forms that we tentatively interpret as post-crisis (early Sealand Period?); and 3) a 1st millennium BC presence (Neo-Babylonian), with-out any architectural remains within the excavated area, and apparently belonging to a non-urban settlement. Although the excavated areas in different parts of the tell are small, their ma-terial shows a unified picture, both morphologically and technologically, and surface finds do not contradict the conclusions drawn from the stratified ceramics.