Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati 2001

“The Royal Palace at Urkesh and the Daughter of Naram-Sin,”
Les Annales Archéologiques Arabes Syriennes: Revue d’Archéologie et d’Histoire, vol. XLIV, 2001, pp. 63-69.
Ministère de la Culture, Direction Générale des Antiqués et des Musées.

The importance and the role of Urkesh in the third millennium BC is strengthened by the attestations on sealings (about 200) of the name of Tar&#8217am-Agade, daughter of Naram-Sin and most likely queen of Urkesh (and not only a priestess).

These sealings could be also connected to others of another person, Ewrim-Atal (a Hurrian name), found in the same contexts and probably suggesting a similar use of those seals in administrative activities.

Another important functionary, Ishar-beli (an Akkadian name), is attested on other sealings also showing north-eastern Syrian features. The last door sealing described so far were found in a cache of room H2 in the Royal Palace.

Later on, the ceramic of the third millennium is briefly presented, the seriation of sherds suggesting a considerable degree of continuity within the third millennium BC.

Afterwards, the authors offer a description of some other main structures: a large royal building in Area AA of the Royal Palace, the Storeroom AK (in sector C), a large courtyard in sector F, the ‘formal’ (i.e, ceremonial) wing in sector H, and other structures outside the Royal Palace in sectors X (a platform) and W (an apsidal structure).

The last paragraph focuses on the analysis of the excavated portion of sector C, within the service wing of building AK, interpreted as a scribal place on the base of the some findings from the iwan room C2: a basin (lined with pure clay layers and interpreted as a scribal installation to prepare tablets and sealings) and half of a tablet.