Tuttul
Encyclopedia
The Bronze Age town of Tuttul is identified with the archaeological site of Tell Bi'a in Ar-Raqqah Governorate, northern Syria
. Tell Bi'a is located near the modern city of Ar-Raqqah and the confluence of the rivers Balikh and Euphrates
. During the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1600 BCE), Tuttul was city sacred to the god Dagan
, worshipped across the Ancient Near East
. However, the settlement at Tell Bi'a had been occupied since the mid-3rd millennium BCE. This town has sometimes also been called the "Northern Tuttul" with reference to an implied "Southern Tuttul", which was possibly located on the Iraqi Euphrates between the ancient cities of Mari
and Babylon
. However, this is a debated issue. The identification of the so-called "Southern Tuttul" with modern Hit
is uncertain, as Hit is referenced to several times in the Mari archives via its modern name.
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....
. Tell Bi'a is located near the modern city of Ar-Raqqah and the confluence of the rivers Balikh and 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...
. During the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1600 BCE), Tuttul was city sacred to the god Dagan
Dagon
Dagon was originally an Assyro-Babylonian fertility god who evolved into a major northwest Semitic god, reportedly of grain and fish and/or fishing...
, worshipped across the Ancient Near East
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
. However, the settlement at Tell Bi'a had been occupied since the mid-3rd millennium BCE. This town has sometimes also been called the "Northern Tuttul" with reference to an implied "Southern Tuttul", which was possibly located on the Iraqi Euphrates between the ancient cities of Mari
Mari, Syria
Mari was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city, located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Abu Kamal on the western bank of Euphrates river, some 120 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, Syria...
and Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
. However, this is a debated issue. The identification of the so-called "Southern Tuttul" with modern Hit
Hīt
Hīt is an Iraqi city in Al-Anbar province. Hīt lies northwest of Ramadi, the provincial capital.On the Euphrates River, Hīt is a small walled town built on two mounds on the site of the ancient city of Is; bitumen wells in the vicinity have been utilized for at least 3,000 years and were used in...
is uncertain, as Hit is referenced to several times in the Mari archives via its modern name.