The Tell Abu Duwari Archaeological Project

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Dr. Elizabeth Stone and her colleagues will continue their archaeological excavation and mapping of Tell Abu Duwari, an ancient Mesopotamian site which dates to the second millennium B.C. Unlike most major centers of the time period, this major Iraqi site, scattered over 56 hectares, was occupied for only a short period of time. Abu Duwari was apparently destroyed in a conflagration and totally abandoned. Because cultural materials and architectural remains are covered by only a thin layer of sand, large scale horizontal excavation is feasible. During two field seasons of work, the team will complete their survey of the site, surface scrape a large area to gain information on residential layout, and conduct intensive excavation in one large public structure. Clay tablets will be deciphered and analyses conducted on ceramic, floral, and faunal remains. Although much research has been conducted in the Near east, almost nothing is known about city organization. This is because excavation has concentrated on deeply stratified temple mounts, and the kind of horizontal excavation necessary to reconstruct how cities function has not been undertaken. Tell Abu Duwari was purposely selected from among a large number of potential sties because it offered the possibility to recover such information. This research should provide insight into the degree to which much authority was centralized. Dr. Stone suggests that it may have been spread across a number of religious and civil institutions. The study will also yield information on the degree of status differentiation among inhabitants and the role of neighborhoods in social organization and control. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of how complex societies, such as our own, first emerge and are maintained. Because it deals with extended periods of time, archaeology is in a unique position to investigate such long term processes. Together with information from other sites, this excavation will contribute to our understanding of this phenomenon.