Prehistoric Investigations of West Asia

我们的探险队在叙利亚东北部哈塞克地区的哈布尔河流域发掘了一个名为Tell Kashkashok II的早期农业定居点遗址，该遗址可追溯到Hassuna Ia时期（公元前6千年）。我们于1985年进行了初步调查，并于1987年4月至9月（第一季）和1988年7月至12月（第二季）进行了两季的发掘。两季的发掘成果对研究早期农业群落的形成具有重要意义。因此，今后我们将继续对哈布尔盆地这一时期的遗址进行调查。这些发掘结果如下：1哈苏纳时期是北美索不达米亚最早出现农业定居点的时代。这些定居点的分布应该限制在伊拉克北部。在我们发现Kashkashok II之前，叙利亚没有发现这一时期的遗址。通过在哈布尔盆地发现该聚落，Hassuna Ia聚落的分布范围向西扩大在Tell Kashkashok II的最下层，我们发现了一个深挖到床岩中的坑屋。下一层是灰褐色墙壁的房间，墙壁和地板上都铺着石膏。在房间的角落里挖了几个铺着石膏的箱子一些出土的物品受到了黎凡特和阿纳托利亚材料的影响。因此，这个遗址为研究新石器时代早期的定居点提供了重要的信息在Hassuna Ia层之后，他们在乌拜德和乌鲁克时期（公元前五至四千年）建造了一个墓地。我们得到了墓坑的结构。

Our expedition excavated a site of the early agricultural settlement named Tell Kashkashok II which dated to Hassuna Ia period(the sixth millenium B.C.) in the basin of the Khabur river, Hassake district, north-eastern part of Syria. We made a preliminary survey in 1985, and carried out two season's excavations which made from April to September 1987(the first season) and from July to December 1988 (the second season). The results of two season's excavations are very important to the study for the formation of the early agricultural community. Therefore, we want to continue hereafter the investigations of the sites of this period in the Khabur basin.The results of these excavations are as follow:1 The Hassuna Ia period was the era when the first agricultural settlements appeared in the North Mesopotamia. The distribution of these settlements was supposed to be limited in the northern part of Iraq. No site of this period was recognized in Syria until we found Kashkashok II. By the finding of this settlement in the Khabur basin, the distribution of the Hassuna Ia settlements was enlarged to the west.2 In the lowermost layer of Tell Kashkashok II, we found a pit house dug down into the bed rock. In the next layer there were tauf walled rooms which were gypsum-lined on the wall and the floor. Several gypsum-lined bins were dug at the corner of rooms.3 Some unearthed objects were influenced by the materials from the Levant and Anatoria. So, this site offers an important information for the study of the early Neolithic settlement.4 After Hassuna Ia layers, they made a cemetery in the Ubaid and the Uruk periods (fifth to fourth millenia B.C.). We were able to get the structure of grave pit.