For a definition of the categories of object typology see the relevant chapter in the Grammar.
Most of the discoveries in OH2 came as a surprise both to us, the excavation team, and to the Buccellati’s. Our original expectations for the site, based on previous excavations in nearby locations and on our understanding of the area, were that it would yield little or no material of any sort and that what it yielded would certainly be neither important nor unique. Therefore, it came as quite a shock to us to begin finding, of all things, sealings and outright seal impressions, most very well preserved by the unusual layers of accumulation that we also discovered. Other important typological pieces were discovered among the pottery that we excavated. In the final analysis, OH2 has turned out to be a site very rich in information, which should be explored in greater detail once excavations at the AK building have been completed.
The first pieces of interest are the seal impressions. Eleven seal impressions or likely seal impressions have been identified from the OH2 material by Dr. Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati. Many of these share certain elements in common; for example, the lion is a popular motif, found in many pieces in the corpus. Another image that appeared more than once was drinking man. However, there is no central theme running through all of the seals, and given the widely disparate layers where they were discovered, this should not be expected. The best seal impression, and in fact the first one found (i 0001), depicts a seated human drinking from a jar, an unidentifiable animal next to his chair. Finally, there are a few that appear to be simple geometric designs, but whether this is because of small size, lack of detail, or their actual content is unsure.
In addition to the seal impressions, a number of sealing pieces were found. In fact, the sheer volume attests to the importance of the site in some capacity. Most of these sealings were originally boxed as clay lumps, and it was only after examination that they were identified as parts of sealings and made into q-items. These pieces are diagnostic in the sense that many of them have negative impressions of wood, cord, fingerprints, or ceramic vessels, which can be measured and studied. While this information might only be of use to specialists, it is still a part of the Tell Mozan record and therefore should be analyzed. These negatives might also be useful in determining the original function of OH2.
Finally, a number of diagnostic pieces were found among the pottery lots excavated from OH2. Two pieces in particular are worth further explanation. One (q 0018-I03) is a rim sherd from a double hole-mouthed jar, with sections of both rims intact. This piece is interesting because it is so unusual when compared to the rest of the pottery found, as well as to the general typology of the excavations at Tell Mozan. The second piece (q 0005-I02) is actually a reconstructed bowl. The pieces were all found together in the site, and our conservator reassembled them and filled in the missing sections with plaster. An important feature of this bowl is the rim marking, which consists of two sets of three vertical scratches. Although the purpose of these is uncertain, it has been suggested that they were capacity indicators of some sort. The bowl, made from Simple Ware, is actually a beautiful example of ancient pottery in addition to providing important typological data.
Although the objects found in a site are not the only data used to create the global record, they are certainly very important. The objects, especially the pottery, can help date the various stratigraphic layers as well as give some indication as to the area’s function. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly analyze and study the pieces excavated, especially the diagnostic ones. This summary is not meant to be such an analysis; rather, it is intended as a guide to the reader or scholar who wishes to analyze the data on his or her own. Further analysis and details on all of the aforementioned pieces, as well as many others, can be found in the individual files in the OH2 archive.
Additional important categories are discussed separately as well:
Back to top: Overview of Unit OH2 objects