Tell Qraya on the Middle Euphrates: Terqa Final Reports 4, Final Report of the 1981 Season

Qraya is a late-fourth millennium B.C. archaeological site located five kilometers north of Tell Asharah, with three Protoliterate building phases uncovered in 1981. The excavation report provides a comprehensive record of the stratigraphy, features, artifacts, and inter-cultural contacts, suggesting that Qraya may have been the origin of Terqa.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 408 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2022
Publisher: Undena Publications,U.S.

Qraya, an archaeological site situated on the western bank of the Euphrates River, just five kilometers north of the ancient city of Tell Asharah (ancient Terqa), is predominantly from the late fourth millennium B.C. The site, perched atop a natural conglomerate rock promontory, underwent systematic excavation in 1981, revealing three distinct Protoliterate building phases. This excavation report provides a comprehensive account of the stratigraphy, architectural features, including burials, walls, hearths, and fire pits, as well as a wide array of artifacts, including pottery, other ceramic objects, chipped stones, bone tools, stone objects, bitumen objects, and unbaked clay objects. In addition to the abundance of classical Protoliterate material, including cylinder and stamp seals, painted pottery, and other atypical findings, suggest inter-cultural contacts rather than intrusion from an earlier Ubaid period. The excavations at Qraya were conducted in conjunction with the work at Terqa, both sites being located under the same permit. This collaboration was not only driven by logistical considerations but also by the possibility that Qraya could be considered the origin point of Terqa, given their close spatial proximity and temporal alignment.

ISBN-13: 9780979893773