Tell es-Sweyhat (Tell Sweyhat, ancient Burmarina?)
تل السويحات · Sweyhat · Tell Sweyhat · Es-Swehat
Early to Middle Bronze (3100–1600 BCE; peak EBA III 2500–2200 BCE)·Middle Euphrates Early Bronze (EJ) → Middle Bronze Amorite·🇸🇾 Raqqa Governorate, Middle Euphrates, Tabqa Dam northeast shore (Sweyhat embayment), Syria
About
About Tell es-Sweyhat (Tell Sweyhat, ancient Burmarina?)
Mid-Euphrates Bronze Age city (c.3100–1600 BCE, 5 ha tell with 30 ha outer town and massive 3rd-millennium cemetery) excavated 1989–2007 by Wilkinson–Zettler (U Penn–Oriental Institute) as last salvage before lake impoundment. EBA III elite shaft-grave cemetery (180+ graves) with 500+ vessels, bronze weapons, donkey burials and chariot-model; EB citadel with fortification wall 3 m and granary; then EBA–MBA collapse abandonment with 1500 BCE reoccupation. Demonstrates Euphrates 3rd-millennium urban mortuary wealth (companion donkey sacrifices akin to royal cemetery Ur) and 4.2k BP arid crisis abandonment.
Why it mattersMost completely excavated 3rd-millennium cemetery on Middle Euphrates; type-site for EBA donkey-sacrifice mortuary ideology and 2200 BCE collapse in north Levant.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Donkey vs equid species — onager or domestic donkey?
Theories
- 01Sweyhat as EBA secondary centre provisioning Sumer's tin route via Euphrates
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. 3100 BCE (EJ 1–2 / EB I)
- Period
- Early to Middle Bronze (3100–1600 BCE; peak EBA III 2500–2200 BCE)
- Culture
- Middle Euphrates Early Bronze (EJ) → Middle Bronze Amorite
- Builders
- Euphrates urban lineage
- Purpose
- Cemetery–town serving lower Euphrates route; granary and mortuary elite display
- Abandoned
- c.2200 BCE (4.2ka event) then sporadic 1600 BCE (Mitanni) reoccupation
- Rediscovered
- 1973 H. Holland survey pre-Tabqa; excavated 1989–2007 UM–OI
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.2450 BCE
Shaft-grave cemetery peak with donkey burials
c.2200 BCE
Abrupt abandonment correlative to aridity
1989
U Penn team opens step trench on slope
On the ground
Structures & features
36.0280° N · 38.0720° E · 335 m · 2 mapped features
EBA cemetery shaft grave 1
tombShaft with side chamber, donkey burial and 12 vessels
36.0283° N · 38.0723° ECitadel fortification wall
fortificationEB III mudbrick wall 3 m thick with glacis
36.0278° N · 38.0718° E