Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati 2001

“City of Myth: In Search of Hurrian Urkesh,”
Archaeology Odyssey May/June, pp. 16-27.

This contribution presents at the very beginning the mythological background (the Cycle of Kumarbi) of Hurrian myths related to Urkesh, discussing the identification of the ancient city with the site of Tell Mozan.

After a brief summary about previous surveys and excavations (by M. Mallowan), the authors report their own works on the site, started in 1984. The main structures brought to light are described (the city wall, the Royal Palace and the temple) and the major finds are presented, mainly the around 2000 sealings found in the Royal Palace, belonging to the king (7 sealings), the queen (10 sealings) and to royal courtiers.

A discussion about the function and the actual use of those sealings is then offered, underlining the local production of the seals and their typical and characteristic style.

Further excavation undertaken by the Dutsche Orient-Gesellschaft (from 1998, three seasons in total) aimed to investigate the domestic architecture in ancient Urkesh: excavating a trench, the German mission was able to uncover a huge stone and brick platform (or terrace), dating to about 2700 BC, probably connected with the main temple of the city.

The urban landscape of Urkesh is described, defining the concept of a wider Hurrian ‘urban ledge’ representing a hinterland called Nawar in ancient sources.

At the end, the ‘Song of Silver’ myth is read as an allegory describing the actual ethnic situation of Urkesh at that time (third millennium BC).

Two other boxes offer insights on Hurrian at Nuzi and on the methodological approach applied in the identification of Urkesh with Tell Mozan.