Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati 1990

“Tell Mozan,”
Mille et une capitales de Haute-Mésopotamie. Les dossiers d’Archéologie 155, pp. 18-23.

This paper tells about the re-discovery of the city of Urkesh, defined as a ‘giant’ in the &#7722abur plain.

After having recalled A. Christie’s memoires about M. Mallowan’s first survey and excavation at Tell Mozan in 1934, the authors present the timeframe of the ceramic assemblage of the city (dating from the ‘&#7722abur ware’ until the ‘Nuzi ware’) and discuss the identification of Tell Mozan with ancient Urkesh.

Areas K and S1 are described, presenting the remains of a storeroom where many Proto-Dynastic sealings were retrieved.

Afterwards, the ‘Lion Temple’ [so-called because of the finding of a lion sculpture, dating probably to temple phase A1b, compared with the two bronze lion-shaped pins of the MET and the Louvre] (BA) is investigated, whose first phase is A1a (= Proto-Dynastic III period). The structure of the temple is then compared with those of Tell Khuera and Ebla (temple D). In the same temple, also a sculpture portraying a rampart animal was discovered.

The earliest pottery from Urkesh resembles the ‘Ninivite V’ types, but also ‘Metallic Ware’, ‘&#7722abur Ware’ and ‘Nuzi Ware’ are attested.

Besides the sealings and the ceramics, also three bronze objects were found.