An Administrative Centre on the Eastern Frontier of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

During the last three excavation seasons, the ELTE Archaeological Mission to Iraqi Kurdistan focused on the Neo-Assyrian period. On the top plateau of the tell settlement, we uncovered parts of the citadel’s fortification and, at a depth of several metres, two monumental buildings which, in our view, were palaces. Research was carried out on the northern slope of the tell in two residential buildings belonging to officials’ households. These structures contained several intramural burials of different types, further indicating the Neo-Assyrian character of the settlement. Tools of imperial administration have been found, such as a duck-shaped stone weight, a cuneiform tablet, a cuneiform bulla, and a new cylinder seal. The three fieldwork campaigns significantly enriched our knowledge about an important local administrative centre of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (9th–7th centuries BC)

Ancient history · Archaeology · Empire · Frontier · Geography · Political science · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Ancient Near East History · Eurasian Exchange Networks · History · Geology