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Intoduction
Blacksmithing activities at the Tell Mozan site are currently considered relatively challenging due to the lack of electricity at the site.
This circumstance necessitates the assistance of a mobile blacksmith who possesses an electric generator mounted on a vehicle, allowing mobility within the site.
From the outset, the objective was to rely on a blacksmith from Tell Mozan or nearby villages for two main reasons:
- Economic considerations: Hiring a blacksmith from Qamishli or Amuda to work at Tell Mozan would incur significantly higher costs, approximately four times the expense of hiring one from
neighboring villages.
- Promoting the involvement of local suppliers: This approach aligns with the objectives of our project and is part of the “Ecoarchaeological Park”, which aims to support local communities and encourage the active participation of local suppliers in carrying out on-site operations.
Accordingly, the only viable option was to engage the blacksmith residing in the village of Umm al-Rabi‘, located approximately one kilometer north of Tell Mozan.
The blacksmithing work at the site was limited to several specific tasks, which are dealt with indetail in the followi;ng sections.issues.
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Iron fence
The iron fence is one of the key elements that enhance the aesthetic appeal of the site, in addition to its primary function of protecting it. The fence serves a dual purpose: it safeguards the excavations and prevents visitors from accessing fragile areas, while also reducing the risk of visitors falling into deep excavations, which could result in injuries.
Moreover, it helps maintain the designated visitor pathways and regulates movement througout the site.
At the site, most sections of the iron fence were bent, some were broken, and other parts were entirely missing.
Bent iron fence
Broken parts
Missing elements
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The objectives of the repair process were to address these problems.
It should be noted that completely replacing the fence would be a very costly undertaking; therefore, this task has been deferred to future years. The mission may later decide to renew the fence entirely or replace only the missing sections, particularly in the areas between the excavations above the palace and the palace.
The work on site continued for two days. On the first day, the iron fence was repaired by welding the broken sections and adding new rods to replace the missing parts in the temple area. The blacksmith attempted to unscrew the bolts to reassemble the sections; however, the bolts were corroded and could not be removed.
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Welding of the rods
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Addition of new rods
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Some parts had to be cut and rewelded, and other parts straightened in both the temple and palace areas.
Cutting of parts of the rods
Welding of the rods
Straightening of bent rods
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