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Image Title calendar2024-01-11

10,000 years ago one of the earliest villages on the Shahrizor Plain was built and lived in at the nearby settlement mound of Bestansur

10,000 years ago one of the earliest villages on the Shahrizor Plain was built and lived in at the nearby settlement mound of Bestansur.

Image Title calendar2024-01-28

Shakar Tapa on the Sharazor plain has revealed a new episode of the Neolithic discovery

Shakar Tapa has been known as a conspicuous archaeological site in the south of the Shahrazor Plain since the mid-20th century. It has an oval plan consisting of a low northeastern mound and a high conical southwestern mound with a flat top.

Image Title calendar2024-01-29

Excavations at Shaikh Marif, Iraqi Kurdistan Preliminary Report of the First Season (2022)

Grdi-Shaikh Marif The archaeological site of Shaikh Marif, located in the Shahrizor Plain ca. 500 m south of Gird Shamlu along the Wadi Shamlu, was registered by the Iraq Museum in 1943. In November 2012, the Shahrizor Survey Project additionally identified several new artificial mounds near Shaikh Marif. Among them, a cluster of two tiny mounds is called, together with Shaikh Marif itself, “Se Tapanسێ تەپان ” by the local people, and thus all three mounds were designated “Shaikh Marif”: Shaikh Marif I (the original northern mound), Shaikh Marif II (a western mound also called “Ash Shaikh Marif” by the locals), and Shaikh Marif III (an eastern mound). The land is seasonally cultivated today, and the water of the Darband-i Khan Dam Lake occasionally covers almost entire areas of the mounds. Owing to modern cultivation and the erosion by flowing water, a large amount of archaeological materials were easily observed on the surface. While no prehistoric material was identified at Shaikh Marif III, numerous Late Neolithic potsherds were scattered across the other two mounds as well as the materials dated to the younger periods. The date of these Late Neolithic sherds was estimated to be ca. 6400 6000 BC. A Japanese archaeological team (directed by Takahiro Odaka, Kanazawa University) excavated Shaikh Marif II in 2022 and revealed the Late Neolithic layers, which directly accumulated on the virgin soil. Most of the finds were dated to ca. 6100-6000 BC, although a small amount of the artefacts from the historical periods indicate human activities in the middle Medieval and the Ottoman Periods.

The Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project

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Nestled on the slopes of Mount Piramagrun in the Zagros Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan lies Rabana-Merquly, an ancient fortified stronghold. This impressive site features perimeter defences that encircle adjoining settlements in the Rabana Valley and the Merquly Plateau. The primary occupation of the area dates back to the Parthian era, specifically from the 2nd to 1st centuries BCE. Parts of the complex were also reoccupied during Ottoman and modern times.

The perimeter fortifications of Rabana-Merquly seamlessly extend from the rugged highland terrain. Walls were strategically built to block intruders at natural gaps in the western escarpment of Mount Piramagrun, creating a nearly continuous barrier approximately 4,000 meters long. These fortifications span a significant elevation difference of about 720 meters, ranging from 1,180 to 1,900 meters above sea level.

One of the most striking features of Rabana-Merquly is the pair of matching rock-reliefs depicting an anonymous ruler, carved into the cliffs beside the entrances to both settlements. Similarities in attire between these figures and the statue of a king of Adiabene found at Hatra suggest a possible identification for both this individual (Natounissar) and the ancient city (Natounissarokerta on the Kapros). Although the precise affiliation of Rabana-Merquly is a matter of speculation, it would have fallen under the dominion of the Parthian empire, located close to the southern frontier of its vassal kingdom Adiabene.

Inside Rabana the focus of occupation was in the north-east, where the wadi running through the center of the valley enters from a narrow gorge extending high up into the mountain. After heavy rain and snowmelt, this forms a temporary waterfall, the base of which was canalised with monumental stone architecture. This area gives the impression of a sanctuary complex, with the prominence of water perhaps indicating a connection to the goddess Anahita. Nearby, an altar carved into the escarpment within a sub-rectangular niche also suggests ritual activity. Maintaining an eternal flame in such a confined space would have been impractical, so it's likely that a small sacred fire was rekindled atop the altar during rituals.

At the top of a large stone staircase descending toward the temporary waterfall stands a substantial building that served partly as a mausoleum, housing several jar burials. Given the prominent location of these graves, it is reasonable to assume that the individuals interred were of high social status. Rabana may have been the site of a dynastic cult associated with the rulers of Adiabene, who rose to prominence during the 2nd century BCE.

Ongoing fieldwork at Rabana, led by Dr. Michael Brown of Heidelberg University and funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), builds upon earlier excavations at Merquly conducted in 2009 by the Slemani Antiquities Directorate. Those investigations uncovered a citadel situated on high ground, overlooking a series of standardized rectangular buildings, each divided into five equally sized rooms. Similar to Roman and Sasanian military structures, these buildings were likely used as barracks. The defensive function of the Merquly fortress probably extended to a garrison, well placed to counter threats emanating from the surrounding Zagros highlands.

For an overview of research at Rabana-Merquly, please refer to our open-access article published in the journal Antiquity.