“Excavations at Brak and Chagar Bazar (1947),”
Iraq 9, pp. 1-259.
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Mallowan presents in this contribution the results of the 1947 survey and excavation at Brak and Chagar Bazar.
The introduction offers a summary on the preliminary survey of the Khabur and Jaghjagha valleys, performed in 1939, explaining also the delay in the publication of these first investigations and his methodology and some problems in interpreting the chronology of prehistorical evidence. An overview on other contemporary excavations in Syria is presented.
Part 1 introduces the two sites (Brak and Chagar Bazar), explaining their landscape, ancient settlements and population, development of agriculture and domestication, stressing the absence of clues for climatic changes in antiquity but underlining some problems with deforestation processes. Then, the diverse cultural influences on the area are displayed, offering information of ancient coalitions from Mari texts and suggesting a probable change in control of Chagar Bazar after 1800 BC. A focus on trades is then introduced, also presenting innovation of ceramic in the Mittanian period, making comparisons with cognate Persian pottery from Tepe Giyan and suggesting a possible origin of the Khabur ware from Armenia. The history of Brak is sketched, starting from Ur III and Akkad (with some glimpses on previous periods), linking the area also with Anatolia. A specific section is devoted to the 'Eye-Temple' of Brak with a discussion about its 'Eye-Idols' and other finds (amulets, seals, models of bread, stone sculptures.
Part 2 (divided into two sections) deals with the presentation of the main buildings and stratification of Brak and Chagar Bazar, establishing comparisons with other coeval sites; later, a first selection of objects discovered on the site is offered.
Part 3 presents the catalogue of all the artefacts found at both sites (firstly the small finds and later the pottery).
Mozan is specifically quoted on p. 47, where the author expresses the wish to compare the archaeological data of Brak with other sites, namely Tall Mozan, Ailun, Hamdun and Khas.
[M. De Pietri – July 2019]