geomorphology of tell 'atij, northern syria

Geomorphology of Tell ’At& Northern Syria

Michel Blackburn

Michel Fortin Dkpartement des sols, Universitk Laval, Quebec, Canada G1K 7P4

Dkpartement d’histoire, Universitk Laval, Quebec, Canada GI K 7P4

Succint results of recent geomorphological research conducted by a Canadian team from Universite Laval (Quebec city) in the Khabur valley of northeastern Syria confirms the hypothesis put forward by one of the authors concerning the function of the tell ’Atij site during the Early Bronze Age period (3000-2500 B.C.). The detailed study of a stratigraphically controlled cross section of 25 m x 6 m, on the abrupt western side of the main tell of the site, combined with observations made in a trench linking the principal tell to the secondary one showed that these two tells, now forming ’Atij, were small islands on the ancient Khabur River. At the time of their occupation, i.e., the first half of the 3rd millenium, the Khabur was wider, deeper and navigable. Another investigation trench, 400 m N.E. of the main tell, disproved the suggested existence of an ancient irrigation canal in the area. 0 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

INTRODUCTION Within the context of the international rescue operation launched by the

“Direction Generale des Antiquites” of the Syrian Arab Republic (Monchamb- ert, 1984; Fortin, 1991), a Canadian archaeological team, under the leadership of one of the authors, realized, during 1986-1988, three successive campaigns in the Khabur valley in the northeastern part of Syria, on two Early Bronze Age sites (3000-2500 B.C.) called Ninevite 5 in northern Mesopotamia: tell ’Atij and tell Gudeda (Fortin, 1988, 1990a, 1990b) (Figure 1). Study of the archaeological material revealed that one of the sites (tell ’Atij) had been a trading outpost. This function is‘better understood in light of the natural setting of the tell. Even if this research has not yet been fully completed, it is nevertheless useful to have access to its preliminary results in order to assist in archaeological interpretation.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT Tell ’Atij is located approximately 20 km south of the modern city of Hasseke,

the largest town of northeastern Syria. The site consists of two hillocks located on the eastern shore of the Khabur River (Figure 1). Being one of the main tributaries of the Euphrates, the Khabur, at the site, is 50-55 m wide, nearly

Geoarchaeology: An International Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 57-74 (1994) 0 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. CCC 0883-6353/94/010057-18

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GEOMORPHOLOGY OF TELL 'ATIJ

2 m deep, and has an average discharge of 50 m3/sec (Kuhne, 1990a: 16). Within this slow fluvial context, changes in water flow combined with changes in sediment discharge resulted in the formation of meanders and oxbow lakes. From recent geomorphological research done by a German team who worked in the Khabur valley between 1983 and 1989 (Ergenzinger, 1991: 491, the river's meanders were formed during the Uruk period, about 6000 years ago.

The water of the Khabur flows over a distance of 200 km, from the Ras al- 'Ain karstic dolina near the Turkish border to its junction with the Euphrates River. The fan-shaped tributaries north of Hasseke drain a n important part of the southern Turkish Taurus range. The Khabur then crosses the semiarid area of the valley in a straight line and with a width of 1 km. Here are located tell 'Atij and tell Gudeda. This part of the valley is entrenched in the undulating Djezireh plain and is enclosed on the western side by the Djebel Abd el-Aziz range (920 m) and in the east by the Djebel Sinjar range (1460 m) in Iraq territory. In the north it is bordered by the Kaukab volcano (534 m). The entire semiarid plain is cut by a multitude of wadi and gullies which have occasionally been occupied at different periods by groups of nomadic shepherds (Hole, 1991: 17- 19).

CLIMATIC FEATURES Tell 'Atij is part of the climatic zone that extends up to 80 km south of

Hasseke and which is characterized by a 200-300 mm annual rainfall; occasionally i t receives less than 200 mm (Wirth, 1971: map 3). Dry-farming, that is, farming without irrigation, is then excluded. That explains the interest since the beginning of the '50s (Gibert and Fevret, 1953) for an irrigation dam construction in the area (Hofinger, 1984). Under the supervision of the Syrian government, this irrigation project is now becoming a reality. The dam which is still under construction south of Hasseke will flood over 60 archaeological sites including tell 'Atij (Monchambert, 1984). Based on recent pollen studies (Zeist and Bottema, 1982; Gremmen and Bottema, 1991: 105-116; Ergenzinger, 1991) showing that climatic conditions in the Khabur valley have been quite stable over the last 6000 years, we can presume that climatic conditions of today are those that prevailed at the time of occupation in the first half of the 3rd millenium.

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES The rocks of the tell 'Atij area are those of the Upper Fars Formation which

is Upper Miocene in age (12-5 million years). This formation consists of two parts. The lower red member is composed of alternating clay, siltstone, and fine-grained sandstone which often bear traces of shrinkage, ripple marks, and cross-bedding. The upper gray member is made up mainly of medium-to coarse- grained polymictic sandstone alternating with clay, siltstone, and marl. We

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 59


also find two centers of volcanic activity in the region (Ponomarev and Biushev, 1966: 36-40):

1. The ard esh Sheikh lava sheet, lying less than 15 km northwest of Hasseke. The lava covers an area of 280 km2 and has a thickness of 10-15 m. The igneous rocks are the product of basaltic lava ejected through fissures during the lower Quaternary (1.8-0.7 million years).

2. The Kaukab area located east of Hasseke consists of two chains of volcanoes rising as seven hills. They are confined to two north-northeasterly faults. These volcanoes of Holocene age ( ~ 1 0 , 0 0 0 years) produced three basalt lava sheets composed of pyro- clastic materials (ferruginous scoria, ash, volcanic sand, and bombs). These lava sheets are possibly the source for grinding tools made from volcanic rock found in tell 'Atij and tell Gudeda archaeological layers.

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES The central part of the Khabur valley is mostly covered by alluvial deposits

of Pleistocene and Holocene age which form three terraces (Ponumarev and Biushev, 1966: 34-36).

1. The deposits of the first and lowest terrace extend to the bed of the Khabur and Jagh- Jagh Rivers. These Holocene (recent) deposits constitute the alluvial mantle of the flood plain. Basal sediments of the first terrace consist of 5m of gypsiferous sands with some gravels and pebbles. The upper part is made up of about 8 m of gypsiferous loams.

2. The second terrace is composed of alluvial and floodplain deposits. Alluvial deposits consist of a surficial deposit of the terrace that stretches as an interrupted cover along the Khabur and JaghJagh Rivers. They consist of pebbley gravel and sand, which in subaerial localities are consolidated by carbonate cement and grade into conglomer- ates, gritstone, and sandstone. The pebbles are made up of allogenic rocks, mostly limestone. The floodplain deposits are widespread, covering the territory with a rarely interrupted continuous mantle. They can be traced into the alluvial deposits of the second terrace at facies transitions. One can observe numerous ancient man-made tells on their surface. They are composed of loams and, less frequently, sandy l o a m of yellowish- and brown-grey color containing some calcareous rock debris.

3. The third and highest terrace is poorly preserved and occurs a t 20-30 m above the flood plain. It consists for the greater part of alluvial material composed of cross- bedded pebble, gravel, and sand beds, which are cemented with calcareous material. The pebbles are well-rounded and made up of allogenic rocks such as flint, quartzite, porphyrite, sandstone, and limestone. The size of the pebbles range from 1-3 cm, seldom reaching 10 cm.

TELL 'ATIJ SETTING Located on the eastern bank of the Khabur River, tell 'Atij consists of two

hillocks (Figure 2): A bigger one constituting the principal tell is egg-shaped, has a length of 150 m at its base, is 40 m wide, and rises to 10 m above the valley floor; a secondary one stands 30 m east of the former, is 200 m long, 40 m wide, and is only 2 m high at its summit.

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Figure 3. View of the west side wall at the foot of the main tell of Atij. Scale shows 10 cm divisions.

The site of tell 'Atij is part of the Khabur River floodplain and is composed of alluvium. These typical alluvial channel deposits consist of pebbles, gravel, sand, silt, and clay.

The stratigraphic study of the tell 'Atij site was greatly facilitated by the erosive action of the Khabur River. Erosion of the west side of the principal tell formed an abrupt bare wall where archaeological and geological deposits can be observed. From that wall we obtained a cross section, 25 m long and 6 m high (Figure 3). Both the stratigraphy and the mode of deposition of the material underneath the archaeological levels were then studied (Figure 4). It was found that the bottom of the principal tell was composed of alluvium consisting of alternating gypsiferous gravel or pebbles and sand (Figure 5 ) that often formed cross-bedding (Figure 6). Lenticular-shaped bodies of gravel or sand were commonly observed.

Overlapping soil monoliths, 1 m tall (Figure 7), were sampled on the west flank of the main tell in order to have a complete and continuous stratigraphic sequence from the base to the human-occupied layers (Figure 8). These monoliths were impregnated, cubed, and polished in order to produce thin sections 10 x 10 cm in size. This will allow microscopic study by means of polarized light.

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Figure 7. Soil monolith sampled on the west side wall of 'Atij main tell. Scale shows 10 cm and 1 cm divisions.

Figure 8. Positioning of soil monoliths on the west wall of 'Atij main tell. Scales show 1 m and 10 cm divisions.


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Morphological study of the control cross-section of the west flank (Figure 4), shows that the sediments at the base of the principal tell are alluvial deposits of the ancient Khabur River. These sediments were accumulated in the river bed, consistent with the capacity of water flow to transport particles (Derruau, 1974: 76). Stratified fluvial sediments are present up to the 289 m bench-mark (Figure 41, confirming that the Khabur River bed was in the past 4-5 m higher than at present (285-284 m). If we postulate a water level of at least 1 m (which is very probable), then the Khabur River flow would have reached the 290 m altitude level, forming a wider channel in its earlier state (Figure 9) then today (Figure 11). After careful scrutiny of the contour lines on the topographic map, it is clear that the 290 m line shows remodelling by straight stream segments (Figure 10) and that terraces occurred below this altitude level (Figure 11). It is then obvious that during the Pleistocene (1.8 million years to 10,000 years) the area of tell 'Atij was part of the Khabur River bed and was under water.

The drier climatic conditions of the Holocene (10,000 years to present) combined with the evolution of the Khabur River resulted in a progressive reduction of river width (Figure 101, an entrenching of the river course, and the formation of meanders (about 4000 B.C., according to Ergenzinger, 1991: 49). Both tell summits of 'Atij became visible with the decline of the river water-level forming small islands in the river channel, probably similar to those presently visible in the Khabur near tell 'Atij. When 'Atij was first occupied by humans, in the first half of the 3rd millennium-the oldest occupied level is about 289 m in altitude-the river bed would have been around 286.5 m and the water level at about 288 m.

We opened a trench (designated PDO 1 on Figure 2) of 40 m long, 1 m wide, and 2 m deep between the principal and the secondary tell (Figure 1 and Figure 12) in order to investigate the topographic depression between the two tells and to study the pedogeomorphological relationships of the site. Examination of the trench wall (Figure 13) revealed the presence of lenticular deposits composed of sand, gravel, or gypsiferous pebbles, which can be related to varia- tions in water flow in a secondary channel lying between the two tells. Based on the stratigraphic cross-section (Figure 13), the bed of this ancient channel would have been lying at an altitude of about 286.5 m. This is particularly suggested by the presence of horizontal ash layers and pottery fragments. Inhabitants at the time could have dumped ashes into the water and these would have been deposited on the bottom. Another possibility is wind transport of fireplace ashes lying on the embankment. Nevertheless, the fact that the pottery fragments found in the trench were of the same fabric type as those uncovered on the principal tell leads to the conclusion that the existence of the channel is contemporary with human occupation.

The topographic depression corresponding to this ancient stream channel reaches presently the 288 m bench mark. Unfortunately, it is impossible to date precisely the silting up of the channel resulting from the decline of the

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Khabur water level associated to the evolution of the river. Although the Khabur is presently unnavigable from the Euphrates up to 'Atij, at the time at which the principal tell was occupied by humans, navigation was possible. Epigraphic documents found in the ancient city of Mari, located at the conflu- ence of the Khabur with the Euphrates (Fortin, 1990b: 562), and the extensive amount of stone anchors discovered at the main tell of 'Atij testify to this. Also the silhouette of a sailing-boat incised on one face of a miniature terracotta chariot wheel suggests this (Fortin, 1990a: 243). The silting up was also probably increased by recent pumping activities. At the end of the 1987 season, torrential rains provoked a rise of the Khabur water level, resulting in the flooding of the secondary channel located between the two tells.

ANCIENT IRRIGATION CANAL It is necessary to understand how the population of an important Assyrian

city of about 9,000 people could feed itself in an arid area where agricultural production necessitated some form of irrigation. In 1983 Hartmut Kuhne started an interdisciplinary study on the environment near the Sheikh Hamad site, which was occupied during the Neo-Assyrian epoch (Kuhne, 1990a: 18-19, 199Ob, 1991; Ergenzinger et al., 1988). The questions which had to be answered

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DETAIL AA' 0 l m - Cullwaled surface layer IApl dark yellowish brown loam IIOYR 413.51

Slighl ly allered horizon lam1 yellowish brown IlOYR 5/41 loam lo sandy loam

Lcghl yellowish brown nodule IlOYR 8/41

Yellowish brown IlOYR 5/41 medium sand lenticular layer

Mixed yellowish brown IKIYR y 5 1 t o llghl gray lloMl7/21 clay and sand containing olive gray15y 5/21

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Yellowish brown nodules IIOYR 5/51

Nodules containing ashes

Thin layers of black ashes

Yellowish brown ll0YR 5/41 sandy clay layer

Sand layer Light yellowish brown llOYR6141 compact sand layer

Gypseous pebbles sl~ghlly cemenled Gravelly sand lens conlainlng pebbles

Dark yellowish brown IlOYR 4.5141 loamy sand lens

Reddish brown 15YR 5/41 discontinuous clay layer

Dark brown 1loYR4/31 laver Inlerbedd%d 01 ashes

Brown Clay layer llOYR 5131 Grayish brown sand layer IiOYR 5/21

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Figure 13. Cross section of the PDO 1 trench north wall located between the principal and secondary tells.

were what was the source of the water and how was it transported? Using aerial photographs and field observation check points he retraced together with a geomorphologist the course of two canals 8 m wide and 1-3 m deep, situated on either side of the Khabur River (Ergenzinger, 1987; Ergenzinger and Kuhne, 1991).

Inspired by this research and encouraged by German colleagues who, while visiting us in 1987, pointed out the location where one might expect a canal, we dug a trench 45 m long, 2.2 m wide, and 1.7 m deep, located 400 m northeast


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of the principal tell (Figure 2: pedologic trench). This trench passed through the potential canal, which corresponded to a small linear topographic depression more or less parallel to the present Khabur River and extended a few hundreds of meters along the 290 m contour line.

Unfortunately, study of the stratigraphic cross-section in the trench walls revealed no evidence of any canal. On the contrary, the presence of superim- posed horizontal layers of gravel, fine sand, and silt invalidated this assumption (Figure 14) (Fortin, 1990b: 562, Fig. 28). The topographic depression observed is probably the result of overflowing of the al-Frathi Wadi channel situated nearby, which turns at a right angle before the depression (potential canal) just before linking up with the Khabur. The intense rains of October 1987 showed that the al-Frathi Wadi can swell rapidly, leave its course abruptly, and spill into the topographic depression. Depending on the extent of water flow (speed, volume), erosion and/or deposition occurs.

CONCLUSIONS From this preliminary study of the geomorphology of the tell 'Atij archaeolog-

ical site, the importance of geomorphological data in understanding the function of the site in the past is evident. Built on a small channel island of the ancient 600 m-wide navigable course of the Khabur River, 'Atij was a preferred site for storage facilities and consequently for fluvial trade. Boats could easily berth a t this site and the surrounding water formed a natural protective barrier.

This study is only the beginning of a larger geoarchaeological research pro- gram. In order to get more precise information on the chronology, the nature of historical events, and the environment in which they occurred, a micromor- phological study using 10 x 10 cm thin sections was undertaken by one of the authors. Further results should be available soon.

Beyond this research project we are planning to return to the field in 1994 in order to expand our investigation. A study of the paleosols (Figure 4) should allow a clarification of the origin, the build-up, and the evolution of the materials that constitute the nucleus around which the tell was built (Holland, 1974; Martini and Chesworth, 1992).

Elias Markou prepared the maps of Figures 1 and 2 and drawings for Figures 4, 13, and 14. Maps of Figures 9, 10, and 11 were drawn by Julie Lafreniere, who also completed the drawings of Figures 4, 13, and 14. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and le Fonds FCAR of Quebec.

REFERENCES Derruau, M. (1974). Precis de Geomorphologie (6th ed.). Paris: Masson. Ergenzinger, P. (1987). Big Hydraulic Structures in Ancient Mesopotamia in North-East Syria.

Die Erde 118,33-36. Ergenzinger, P. (1991). Geomorphologische Untersuchungen im Unterlauf des Habur. In H.

Kuhne, Ed., Die rezente Umwelt uon Tall Seh Hamad und Daten zur Umwelrekonstruktion der assyrischen Stadt Dur-Katlimmu, pp. 35-50. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag.



Ergenzinger, P., and Kuhne, H. (1991). Ein Regionales Bewasswerungssystem am Habur. In H. Kuhne, Ed., Die rezente Umwelt von Tall Seh H a m d and Daten zur Umwelrekonstruktion der assyrischen Stadt Dur-Katlimmu, pp. 163-190. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag.

Ergenzinger, P., Wolfgang, F., Kuhne, H., and Kurscher, H. (1988). The Reconstruction of Environ- ment, Irrigation and Development of Settlement on the Habur in North-East Syria. In J. Bintliff, D.A. Davidson, and E.G. Grant, Eds., Conceptual Issues in Environmental Archaeology, pp. 108-128. Edinburgh: University Press.

Fortin, M. (1988). Rapport Prbliminaire sur la Premiere Campagne de Fouilles (Printemps 1986) B tell 'Atij, sur le Moyen Khabour (Syrie). Syria 65, 139-171.

Fortin, M. (1990a). Rapport Prbliminaire sur la Deuxieme Campagne de Fouilles B tell 'Atij et la Premiere

Fortin, M. (1990b). Rapport Prbliminaire sur la 3" Campagne de Fouilles B tell 'Atij e t la 28me B tell Gudeda, sur le Moyen Khabour (Automne 1988). Syria 67, 535-577.

Fortin, M. (1991). Rbcentes Recherche8 Archbologiques dans la Moyenne Vallbe du Khabour (Syrie). Bulletin of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies 21, 5-15.

Gibert, A., and Fevret, M. (1953). La Djbzireh Syrienne et son &veil kconomique. Revue de gkographie de Lyon 28, 1-15 and 83-99.

Gremmen, W.H.E., and Bottema, S. (1991). Palynological Investigations in the Syrien Gazira. In H. Kiihne, Ed., Die rezente Umwelt von Tall Seh Hamad und Daten zur Umwelrekonstruktion der assyrischen Stadt Dur-Katlimmu, pp. 105-116. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag.

Hofinger, H. (1984). Ein neus Staudamm und Bewasserungsprojekt am nordostsyrischen Khabour: Grundzuge und Probleme seiner Planung. Geographische Zeischrift 7213, 189-195.

Hole, F. (1991). Middle Khabur Settlement and Agriculture in the Ninevite 5 Period. Bulletin of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies 21, 17-29.

Holland, H.D. (1984). The Chemical Euolution of the Atmosphere and Oceans. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Kuhne, H. (1990a). The Effects of Irrigation Agriculture: Bronze and Iron Age Habitation along the Khabur, Eastern Syria. In S. Bottema, G. Entjes-Nieborg, and W. Van Zeist, Eds., Man's Role in the Shaping of the Eastern Mediterranean Landscape, pp. 15-30. Rotterdam: Balkema.

Kuhne, H. (1990b). Ein Bewasserungssystem des Ersten Jahrtausends v.Chr. am Unteren Habur. In B. Geyer, Ed., Techniques et Pratiques Hydro-Agricoles Traditionelles en Domaine Irrigud, pp. 193-215. Paris: Geuthner.

Kiihne, H. (1991). Die rezente Umwelt von Tall Seh Hamad und Daten zur Umwelrekonstruktion der assyrischen Stadt Dur-Katlimmu-die Problemstellung. In H. Kiihne, Ed., Die rezente Um- welt von Tall Seh Hamad und Daten zur Umwelrekonstruktion der assyrischen Stadt Dur- Katlimmu, pp. 21-33. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag.

Martini, I.P., and Chesworth, W. (1992). Reflections on Soils and Paleosols. In P. Martini and W. Chesworth, Eds., Weathering, Soils and Paleosols, pp. 3-16. New York: Elsevier.

Monchambert, J.-Y. (1984). Le Futur lac du Moyen Khabour: Rapport sur la Prospection Archbolog- ique Menbe en 1983. Syria 61,181-218.

Ponomarev, B. Ya., and Biushev, A.S. (1966). The Geological Map of Syria. Damascus: Ministry of Industry, Department of Geological and Mineral Research.

Wirth, E. (1971). Syrien. Eine geogmphische Landeskunde. Darmstadt, Germany: Wissenschaft- liche Buchgesellschaft.

Zeist, W. van, and Bottema, S. (1982). Vegetational History of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East during the Last 20,000 Years. In J.L. Bintliff and W. van Zeist, Eds., Palaeoclimates, Palaeoenvironments and Human Communities in the Eastern Meditermnean Region in Later Prehistory, pp. 277-321. BAR International Series 133. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports.

tell Gudeda (Automne 19871, sur le Moyen Khabour. Syria 67,219-256.

Received August 12, 1993 Accepted for publication October 25, 1993

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