Tell Mashnaqa
Encyclopedia
Tell Mashnaqa is an archaeological site located on the Khabur River
, a tributary to the Euphrates
, about 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) south of Al-Hasakah
in northeastern Syria
. The site dates from the Ubaid period
(ca. 5200–4900 BC), and was excavated by a Danish
team from 1990–1995 in four seasons.
, now flooded by the al-Hassakah Dam project, was around 4 hectare in area. The western side of the tell formed a high mound
, rising to a height of more than 11 metres (36.1 ft). The lower and flatter eastern side rose 4 metres (13.1 ft) above plain level.
The mudbrick
houses, found at the earliest level of the tell, had small rooms with fireplaces, grinding stones, mortars and painted pots. The later levels show a shift in occupation to other parts of the tell, where areas inhabited earlier were turned into a refuse midden and later a cemetery. The site was later abandoned for hundreds of years only to be rebuilt again in the fourth millennium BC. This level had a large tripartite building measuring about 11.5 by 10.5 m.
coated with bitumen to make them water-proof. The findings strongly suggest that people of the Khabur region had already made use of boats for transport and fishing by ca. 5000 BC, if not before. Similar models have been unearthed from other Ubaid sites such as Eridu
, Ubaid, Uqair and Abada.
Khabur River
The Khabur River , , , ) is the largest perennial tributary to the Euphrates in Syrian territory. Although the Khabur originates in Turkey, the karstic springs around Ra's al-'Ayn are the river's main source of water. Several important wadis join the Khabur north of Al-Hasakah, together creating...
, a tributary to the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
, about 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) south of Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah...
in northeastern Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The site dates from the Ubaid period
Ubaid period
The Ubaid period is a prehistoric period of Mesopotamia. The tell of al-`Ubaid west of nearby Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate has given its name to the prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic culture, which represents the earliest settlement on the alluvial plain of southern...
(ca. 5200–4900 BC), and was excavated by a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
team from 1990–1995 in four seasons.
Overview
The tellTell
A tell or tel, is a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides.-Archaeology:A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and...
, now flooded by the al-Hassakah Dam project, was around 4 hectare in area. The western side of the tell formed a high mound
Mound
A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically...
, rising to a height of more than 11 metres (36.1 ft). The lower and flatter eastern side rose 4 metres (13.1 ft) above plain level.
The mudbrick
Mudbrick
A mudbrick is a firefree brick, made of a mixture of clay, mud, sand, and water mixed with a binding material such as rice husks or straw. They use a stiff mixture and let them dry in the sun for 25 days....
houses, found at the earliest level of the tell, had small rooms with fireplaces, grinding stones, mortars and painted pots. The later levels show a shift in occupation to other parts of the tell, where areas inhabited earlier were turned into a refuse midden and later a cemetery. The site was later abandoned for hundreds of years only to be rebuilt again in the fourth millennium BC. This level had a large tripartite building measuring about 11.5 by 10.5 m.
Boat models
One of the most remarkable finds at the Ubaid level of the site were fragments of two pottery boat models, excavated in 1991. The models represented long, narrow canoes with pointed sterns. The boats were probably made of reedReed (plant)
Reed is a generic polyphyletic botanical term used to describe numerous tall, grass-like plants of wet places, which are the namesake vegetation of reed beds...
coated with bitumen to make them water-proof. The findings strongly suggest that people of the Khabur region had already made use of boats for transport and fishing by ca. 5000 BC, if not before. Similar models have been unearthed from other Ubaid sites such as Eridu
Eridu
Eridu is an ancient Sumerian city in what is now Tell Abu Shahrain, Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq. Eridu was considered the earliest city in southern Mesopotamia, and is one of the oldest cities in the world...
, Ubaid, Uqair and Abada.