Tell Shemshara
شمشارة · Shemshara, Sulaymaniyah · Shamshara
Hassuna to Islamic (c.6200 BCE–1200 CE; archive Late Bronze c.1800 BCE)·Hassuna → Halaf → Ubaid → MBA Shamshera kingdom → Islamic·🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Dokan Lake, Lower Zab, Kurdistan, Iraq
About
About Tell Shemshara
Mound on Dokan Lake north shore (Lower Zab), excavated by Eidem (Copenhagen) 1957 and 2012 after lake lowering. Hassuna base, Halaf-Ubaid, then MBA palace with 150 cuneiform letters of Kuwari king of Shamshera (Shamshi-Adad era) — only Kurdistan MBA archive.
Why it mattersMBA kingdom archive (Shamshera tablets, c.1800 BCE) and Hassuna base — Kurdistan MBA polity illuminating Shamshi-Adad orbit.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Kingdom of Shamshera relation to Arrapha?
Theories
- 01Eidem Shamshera as independent Hurrian kingdom 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
- Hassuna village c.6200 BCE; MBA palace c.1800 BCE
- Period
- Hassuna to Islamic (c.6200 BCE–1200 CE; archive Late Bronze c.1800 BCE)
- Culture
- Hassuna → Halaf → Ubaid → MBA Shamshera kingdom → Islamic
- Builders
- Hassuna communities
- Purpose
- Lower Zab fortress town controlling Dokan pass and MBA kingdom of Shamshera
- Rediscovered
- Modern archaeological survey/ rescue
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.6200 BCE
Hassuna village
c.1800 BCE
MBA palace and archive (Kuwari)
1957
Danish Dokan rescue
2012
Re-excavation after drought drop
On the ground
Structures & features
35.9200° N · 44.9500° E · 520 m · 3 mapped features
Tell Shemshara — South terrace
palaceKey sub-area of Tell Shemshara (Hassuna to Islamic) showing Hassuna horizon
35.9192° N · 44.9496° ETell Shemshara — East gate
wallKey sub-area of Tell Shemshara (Hassuna to Islamic) showing Hassuna horizon
35.9200° N · 44.9502° ETell Shemshara — West workshop
gateKey sub-area of Tell Shemshara (Hassuna to Islamic) showing Hassuna horizon
35.9208° N · 44.9508° E