Tell Acharneh
تل العشارنة · Tall Acharneh · Tell Acharné
Early Bronze Age to Hellenistic (c.3000–300 BCE)·Syrian EBA → Aramaean → Neo-Hittite fringe·🇸🇾 Hama Governorate, Orontes Valley, Ghāb plain, Syria
About
About Tell Acharneh
Orontes Ghāb fortress tell, 12 ha, 15 m high, Bronze–Iron Age (c.3000–500 BCE). EB rampart, MB II earthen glacis (Hyksos-style), Iron Age aramean town of Qarqar? or Tunip? fort. Excavated 1998– by Canadian (Fortin) showing LB Hittite sherds, Iron Age casemate wall and Hellenistic squatter. Controls Ghāb swamp and Via Maris north branch; basalt orthostat fragment hints Neo-Hittite phase. Flood controls later.
Why it mattersOnly Ghāb sequence with MB glacis; candidate for Tunip/Qarqar mentioned in Amarna/Assyrian texts.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Is this Tunip of Amarna letters?
Theories
- 01Ghāb marsh bridge fortress model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.3000 BCE EBA rampart
- Period
- Early Bronze Age to Hellenistic (c.3000–300 BCE)
- Culture
- Syrian EBA → Aramaean → Neo-Hittite fringe
- Builders
- Ghāb Bronze Age communities / Aramaeans
- Purpose
- Ghāb pass fortress controlling Orontes ford and marsh crossing
- Abandoned
- Hellenistic
- Rediscovered
- 1998 Fortin Ghāb survey
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.3000 BCE
EB rampart and ditch
c.1800 BCE
MBII glacis innovation
c.900 BCE
Aramaean town Tunip
On the ground
Structures & features
35.3200° N · 36.3800° E · 160 m · 3 mapped features
- Tell Acharneh — MB glacisfortificationEarthen glacis with plaster facing, east slope35.3205° N · 36.3800° E
- Tell Acharneh — Iron Age casemate wallfortificationDouble-wall citadel, Iron II35.3200° N · 36.3805° E
- Tell Acharneh — Ghāb swamp harbourharbourOrontes paleo-channel harbour at west foot35.3195° N · 36.3795° E
Gallery