Research, Research
from the University of Pennsylvania Museum
of Archaeology and Anthropology

September 1995--University of Pennsylvania Museum archaeologists working at Tell es-Sweyhat, a site on the Euphrates River in Syria, have excavated a fully intact group tomb, circa 2500-2250 BC, in an extensive cemetery that may contain as many as 150 such tombs. Both the tomb, believed to be a family burial, and the cemetery surrounding it, promise to yield important new information about the ancient northern Mesopotamian people who once lived and flourished in this now arid land.

Archaeologists working under the direction of Dr. Richard L. Zettler, Associate Curator of the Museum's Near Eastern Section, discovered the top of the group tomb, a sink hole on the surface of a recently irrigated field, in April 1995. Digging down several meters through soil which had filled in a rectangular tomb shaft, the excavators, organized by site supervisor Jill Weber, uncovered a tomb chamber roughly oval in shape, about four by five meters.

Human skeletal remains from at least ten individuals were found on the floor of the tomb. One female skeleton near the chamber's entrance was relatively well-preserved and appeared to be the most recent interment, while a second, somewhat smaller and poorly preserved skeleton, had jewelry still intact. The remainder of the human bones were found scattered around the floor of the chamber or in a pile against the north wall, causing the archaeologists to speculate that the bones of earlier burials were carelessly tossed aside when the bodies of the more recently dead were put in the tomb.

Entombed with the human beings were a wide variety of objects, including more than 100 unbroken pottery vessels. A variety of copper or bronze objects including weapons such as daggers, axes and a javelin with a string notch, a model cart with wheels, incised bone (perhaps originally handles for the daggers), a flint core, beads and shells were also uncovered. The copper or bronze artifacts have much in common with contemporary artifacts found in the culturally rich region of southern Mesopotamia (Iraq).

In addition to human remains and objects, the tomb contained numerous animal bones, both on the chamber floor and in the fill above the floor. The remains of a whole pig, as well as bones from birds, sheep, goats, and cows, were unearthed, believed by the excavators to be the remains of funerary offerings. Bird eggs placed in the eye sockets of the skull of one animal, a sheep or a goat, were found intact.

"The size and potential of this Tell es-Sweyhat Early Bronze Age cemetery is very exciting," noted Dr. Zettler. "This intact tomb was found outside a tomb field we had originally defined in our 1993 field season, and we now know the tombs are spread over almost two acres, a much larger area than we had previously thought. Based on the tomb size, we can estimate that there are 100 to 150 tombs, most of which we believe to be intact. The tombs and their contents are a really surprising find, and their potential as a very significant study sample is extraordinary."

While such Early Bronze Age tombs do exist in north Syria, (notably at Tell Ahmar, ancient Til Barsip, excavated in the 1930s, and at Selenkehiyeh, excavated in the 1960s), many have been looted, leaving archaeologists with incomplete records. Penn researchers had excavated two other tombs in a previous field season at Tell es-Sweyhat; both tombs had been looted prior to the archaeologists' work, and they yielded limited information.

The Penn archaeologists hope to employ new scientific analytical techniques, including DNA analysis, to help discern the possible biological relationships of the tomb's occupants and, as other tombs are analyzed, the biological links among individuals in different tombs -- information that would provide new insights into social organization 4500 years ago. The human remains from a large sampling of tombs could provide information on the size of the population, and serve as a database for studying diet, disease, and death rates (and ultimately quality of life) of these early civilized people.

In addition, analysis of the number and type of goods found in each of the tombs could be used to better understand both individuals' and the region's economic positions. These cemeteries could be compared with the roughly-contemporary cemeteries from the better- known and extensively excavated southern Mesopotamian sites such as Ur, to obtain a better picture of the larger region's trade and economy.

Over the last 25 years, excavations in Syria have yielded spectacular discoveries at such sites as Tell Mardikh (ancient Ebla). Such discoveries have radically altered established perspectives on many facets of ancient Mesopotamian civilization, previously understood primarily through excavations in Iraq. With the support of the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, the pace of archaeological research in Syria continues to accelerate annually; about seventy excavations, directed by both Syrian and foreign archaeologists, are currently underway.

Founded in 1887, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has been a world leader in Mesopotamian excavation and research, beginning with the Museum's, and America's, first Near Eastern excavation at Nippur in Iraq, a site which yielded a library treasure trove of cuneiform tablets that have been largely responsible for what is known of Sumerian literature. The Museum joined with the British Museum to excavate Tell al-Muqqayyar (ancient Ur) from 1922 to 1934. The Ur excavations resulted in the discovery of a spectacular 4500 year old royal cemetery, the so-called Royal Tombs of Ur; treasures from that expedition are on permanent display in the Museum. Since then the Museum has worked at many sites throughout the Middle East, but the work at Tell es-Sweyhat, which began in 1989, is the first expedition to Syria.

Work at Tell es-Sweyhat, now in its fourth season, has focused largely on the reconstruction of the topography and structure of the ancient settlement. The non-invasive technique of geomagnetic mapping (the same technique employed by oil companies to locate oil deposits) is being successfully used by Museum researchers in their efforts. Work at the site has been supported by the University of Pennsylvania Museum, its members and special contributors, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Geographic Society.