Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village
Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village Tell
Samarra (6200–5800 BCE)·Samarra culture·🇮🇶 Saladin Governorate, Tigris, Iraq
About
About Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village
Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village in Saladin Governorate, Tigris, Iraq is a Samarra (6200–5800 BCE) tell attributed to Samarra culture culture. German and Syrian excavations document stratified sequence with ceramic seriation and radiocarbon. The site includes a principal mound and ancillary settlement.
Why it mattersKey Samarra culture site illustrating Samarra (6200–5800 BCE) tell traditions.
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Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Urban planning of Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village
- 02Chronology of lower town
Theories
- 01Administrative centre for Samarra culture
- 02Trade hub on Euphrates/Khabur
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. 6200 BCE
- Period
- Samarra (6200–5800 BCE)
- Culture
- Samarra culture
- Purpose
- Irrigated village with alabaster statues and flax
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 6200 BCE
Initial settlement
c. 2000 BCE
Major expansion and fortification
On the ground
Structures & features
33.7822° N · 44.0122° E · 54 m · 3 mapped features
Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village — Main Mound
moundMain tell mound Tell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village 15 m high with stratified phases
33.7830° N · 44.0130° ETell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village — Lower Town
settlementLower town settlement 10 ha with houses and kilns
33.7813° N · 44.0117° ETell es-Sawwan — Samarra Village — Gate Area
gateFortified gate with mudbrick walls and bastions
33.7833° N · 44.0115° E