The Later Prehistory of the Shahrizor Plain, Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Further Investigations at Gurga Chiya and Tepe Marani

Abstract

The Shahrizor Prehistory Project has targeted prehistoric levels of the Late Ubaid and Late Chalcolithic 4 (LC4; Late Middle Uruk) periods at Gurga Chiya (Shahrizor, Kurdistan region of northern Iraq), along with the Halaf period at the adjacent site of Tepe Marani. Excavations at the latter have produced new dietary and environmental data for the sixth millennium B.C. in the region, while at Gurga Chiya part of a burned Late Ubaid tripartite house was excavated. This has yielded a promising archaeobotanical assemblage and established a benchmark ceramic assemblage for the Shahrizor Plain, which is closely comparable to material known from Tell Madhhur in the Hamrin valley. The related series of radiocarbon dates gives significant new insights into the divergent timing of the Late Ubaid and early LC in northern and southern Mesopotamia. In the following occupation horizon, a ceramic assemblage closely aligned to the southern Middle Uruk indicates convergence of material culture with central and southern Iraq as early as the LC4 period. Combined with data for the appearance of Early Uruk elements at sites in the adjacent Qara Dagh region, this hints at long-term co-development of material culture during the fourth millennium B.C. in southeastern Iraqi Kurdistan and central and southern Iraq, potentially questioning the model of expansion or colonialism from the south.

Late Chalcolithic Ceramic Development in Southern Iraqi Kurdistan: The Stratigraphic Sounding at Kani Shaie

“…Furthermore, the frequently asserted dichotomy between ‘local’ LC assemblages with vegetal temper versus ‘Uruk’ assemblages with mineral temper cannot be maintained at Kani Shaie, as has already been observed at other sites in the region (Carter et al . 2020; Vallet et al . 2017: 75).…”

“…Within the vicinity of Kani Shaie, they are well-documented at Gurga Chiya (Carter et al . 2020) in the Shahrizor, and at Tell Hassan (Nannucci 2012: fig. 3: 27–30) and Tell Rubeidheh (McAdam and Mynors 1988: fig.…”

“…Similarly, at Gurga Chiya, phase GC2 is assigned to the late Ubaid period, even though material from this phase has parallels with assemblages assigned to LC1 at Tell Helawa and Surezha (Carter et al . 2020). We assign Kani Shaie phase VII to the very end of the late Ubaid period, based on the significant presence of painted sherds and Dalma Impressed ware, while the already high percentage (18.5%) of MPBs may herald the LC1.…”

“…(Carter et al . 2020), while the occupation labeled as LC1 at Surezha (phase D–H in Operation 2) produced several C14 dates ranging between 5200–4900 cal B.C. (Stein 2018: 42).…”

Kurd Qaburstan on the Erbil Plain: Field Research 2016–2017

“…Brassica/Sinapsis remains have been encountered at other sites across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including Late Neolithic Tepe Marani (Carter et al . 2020) and fourth millennium B.C. levels at Gurga Chiya, both within the Shahrizor Plain (Wengrow et al .…”