Giorgio Buccellati 1998

“Urkesh as Tell Mozan: Profiles of the Ancient City,”
in Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati (eds.),
Urkesh and the Hurrians,
Urkesh/Mozan Studies 3,
Bibliotheca Mesopotamica 26, Malibu: Undena Publications, pp. 11-34.

This paper aims at presenting some working hypotheses about the topography of Tell Mozan and its urban layout, mainly focusing on the Royal Palace AK where the major part of the finds presents local features, with very limited ‘non-Urkesh’ material.

Section 1 describes structures belonging to the Early Third Millennium BC excavated in soundings on the High Mound (S2) and in the Outer City (OS12), offering Halaf sherds; the citadel walls of the Third Millennium BC were instead detected in sector KW and in sounding S1, while few burials were uncovered in the Outer City (soundings OA4 and OB1), where ‘Metallic Ware’, ‘Ninevite V’ vessels, ‘Scarlet Ware’ and several bronze objects were found.

Section 2 focuses on the Mid-Third Millennium BC, describing the citadel wall (probably abandoned at this time), the first phase of Temple BA (Early-Dynastic III).

Section 3 presents Late-Third Millennium BC structures, such as the Royal Building AK (previously interpreted as a royal storehouse [see AfO 42-43] and lately understood to be the palace itself [see Orient Express 1996/3]) and the second phase of Temple (?) [question mark, because the temple probably did not retain its religious function during this period]) BA and the residential buildings in Area F1 (briefly presented in Mozan 2, pp. 10-14) and in the strata above the Royal Building AK (four houses and about 16 graves).

Section 4 offers an overview on the Second Millennium BC, the Khabur period (when urban density sensitively decreased) and the Nuzi period (with very small areas still inhabited).