Chagar Bazar
Encyclopedia
Chagar Bazar is an ancient site in northern Syria
, about 35 kilometers north of Al-Hasakah
, occupied from the sixth to the second millennium BC. It is situated by the small river Dara, a tributary to the Khabur River
. Alternative spellings are Tell Chagar Bazar, or Šagir Bazar.
. Excavations revealed pottery belonging to the Halaf
and Ubaid cultures.
By the Early Bronze Age
, in the third millennium BC, Chagar Bazar had turned into a small town with the size of 12 hectares / 30 acres. The site appears to have been abandoned by the end of the third millennium BC. It was resettled by Hurrians
in the Middle Bronze Age. Fine examples of the Khabur ware
pottery dating to this period have been discovered by the excavators.
, with his wife Agatha Christie
, from 1935 to 1937.
Many of the artefacts discovered were brought to the British Museum
. Besides pottery, a large number of clay tablets written in cuneiform script
were discovered. Work was resumed at the site in 1999 by an expedition from the British School of Archaeology in Iraq
in cooperation with University of Liège
archaeologists and the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums
.
During these excavations, which ended in 2002, 214
cuneiform tablets were recovered.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, about 35 kilometers north of Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah...
, occupied from the sixth to the second millennium BC. It is situated by the small river Dara, a tributary to the Khabur River
Khabur River
The Khabur River , , , ) is the largest perennial tributary to the Euphrates in Syrian territory. Although the Khabur originates in Turkey, the karstic springs around Ra's al-'Ayn are the river's main source of water. Several important wadis join the Khabur north of Al-Hasakah, together creating...
. Alternative spellings are Tell Chagar Bazar, or Šagir Bazar.
History
Chagar Bazar was already settled in the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
. Excavations revealed pottery belonging to the Halaf
Tell Halaf
Tell Halaf is an archaeological site in the Al Hasakah governorate of northeastern Syria, near the Turkish border, just opposite Ceylanpınar. It was the first find of a Neolithic culture, subsequently dubbed the Halaf culture, characterized by glazed pottery painted with geometric and animal designs...
and Ubaid cultures.
By the Early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, in the third millennium BC, Chagar Bazar had turned into a small town with the size of 12 hectares / 30 acres. The site appears to have been abandoned by the end of the third millennium BC. It was resettled by Hurrians
Hurrians
The Hurrians were a people of the Ancient Near East who lived in Northern Mesopotamia and adjacent regions during the Bronze Age.The largest and most influential Hurrian nation was the kingdom of Mitanni. The population of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia to a large part consisted of Hurrians, and...
in the Middle Bronze Age. Fine examples of the Khabur ware
Khabur ware
Khabur ware is a specific type of pottery named after the Khabur River region, in northeastern Syria, where large quantities of it were found by the archaeologist Max Mallowan at the site of Chagar Bazar. The pottery's distribution is not confined to the Khabur region, but spreads across northern...
pottery dating to this period have been discovered by the excavators.
Archaeology
The ancient site, about 12 hectares in size, was excavated by the British archaeologist Max MallowanMax Mallowan
Sir Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan, CBE was a prominent British archaeologist, specialising in ancient Middle Eastern history, and the second husband of Dame Agatha Christie.-Life and work:...
, with his wife Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
, from 1935 to 1937.
Many of the artefacts discovered were brought to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. Besides pottery, a large number of clay tablets written in cuneiform script
Cuneiform script
Cuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
were discovered. Work was resumed at the site in 1999 by an expedition from the British School of Archaeology in Iraq
British School of Archaeology in Iraq
The British Institute for the Study of Iraq is the only body in Britain devoted to research into the ancient civilizations and languages of Mesopotamia....
in cooperation with University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
archaeologists and the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums
Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums
The Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums is a Syrian government directorate responsible for the protection, promotion and excavation activities in all sites of national heritage in Syria. The directorate was established shortly after Syria's independence in 1946...
.
During these excavations, which ended in 2002, 214
cuneiform tablets were recovered.
See also
- Cities of the Ancient Near EastCities of the ancient Near EastThe largest cities in the Bronze Age ancient Near East housed several tens of thousands. Memphis in the Early Bronze Age with some 30,000 inhabitants was the largest city of the time by far...
- Tell Brak
- HurriansHurriansThe Hurrians were a people of the Ancient Near East who lived in Northern Mesopotamia and adjacent regions during the Bronze Age.The largest and most influential Hurrian nation was the kingdom of Mitanni. The population of the Hittite Empire in Anatolia to a large part consisted of Hurrians, and...
- Come, Tell Me How You LiveCome, Tell Me How You LiveCome, Tell Me How You Live is a short book of autobiography and travel literature by crime writer Agatha Christie. It is one of only two books she wrote and had published under both of her married names of "Christie" and "Mallowan" and was first published in the UK in November 1946 by William...