Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer
Late Chalcolithic (4500–3500 BCE) + Early Bronze·Late Chalcolithic Jazira (Hamoukar) → Southern Uruk intrusion·🇸🇾 Hasakah, Jazira near Al Hol, Syria
About
About Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer
Hamoukar excavated by Gibson & Reichel 1999–, earliest urban battle c.3500 BCE, sling bullets and southern Uruk colony. Recorded context — Period: Late Chalcolithic (4500–3500 BCE) + Early Bronze; Culture: Late Chalcolithic Jazira (Hamoukar) → Southern Uruk intrusion; Field status: excavated; Materials: mudbrick, clay sealings, obsidian; Condition: ruins.
Why it mattersKey Late Chalcolithic Jazira (Hamoukar) → Southern Uruk intrusion tell with stratified sequence and regional typology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function of enclosure
Theories
- 01Observatory
- 02Territorial marker
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. 4500 BCE town; destruction 3500 BCE battle
- Period
- Late Chalcolithic (4500–3500 BCE) + Early Bronze
- Culture
- Late Chalcolithic Jazira (Hamoukar) → Southern Uruk intrusion
- Purpose
- 3500 BCE urban-warfare destruction — thousands of sealings and Uruk southern intrusion evidence
- Rediscovered
- Modern excavation 1905
- Excavation
- Excavated
1920 excavation
Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer
c. 1200 BCE major extension
Major expansion / refurbishment at Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer
c. 4500 BCE town; destruction 3500 BCE battle
Initial construction / first occupation at Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer
On the ground
Structures & features
36.8120° N · 41.9590° E · 385 m · 3 mapped features
- Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer — Principal Palacepalacepalace at Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer — subsidiary complex36.8107° N · 41.9578° E
- Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer — Temple Annex 2templetemple at Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer — primary structure36.8135° N · 41.9593° E
- Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer — Gate Annex 3gategate at Tell Hamoukar — Battle Collapse Burn Layer — outlier feature36.8128° N · 41.9573° E