Tell Judeideh and Çatal Hüyük

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Early Syria Tour

The Coastal Strip

The Hauran

Orontes Valley

'Amuq Valley
Alalakh
(Tell 'Atchana)
Tell Judeideh & Catal Huyuk
Tell Ta'yinat

'Afrin Valley

North-Central

The Syrian Desert

Upper Euphrates

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The sites of Tell Ta'yinat, Tell Judeideh, and Çatal Hüyük, described below, were all investigated as part of the ground breaking 'Syrian Expedition' of the Oriental Institute of Chicago(1932 – 1938). Led by Robert Braidwood, this pioneering expedition to the ‘Amuq Valley established one of the most enduring archaeological sequences for the whole of Syria and its importance cannot be underestimated. Braidwood’s team undertook to plot out a complete chronological sequence from the Neolithic through to the Hellenistic by excavating controlled soundings at a number of sites. The sequence begins with the Neolithic phase A and ends with the Hellenistic phase Q, covering a period of some 6,000 years.

Together with the equally significant 'Hama Sequence' defined by the Danes, this 'Amuq Sequence' forms the basis of much of the dating and phasing of all subsequent archaeological investigation in Syria.

These two sites are particularly significant for demonstrating the sequence in the transitional period between the Late Bronze and Iron Ages - in the 12th and 11th centuries BC - filling in a gap which is present both at Alalakh and at Tell Ta'yinat. A great deal of Aegean pottery was found at these sites, implying strong links with this region. After about 1,000 BC a new pottery tradition appeared, contemporary with the earliest of the bit-hilani at Tell Ta'yinat. It was characterised by a red slip and burnish. This pottery is common at sites further to the south, such as Qarqur and 'Ain Dara.

Sherds of later pottery types such as ‘Black Attic Ware’ of the 5th and 4th centuries BC and Hellenistic pottery of the 3rd century B.C are also much in evidence at Tell Judeideh.

	Çatal Hüyük. (J. Tubb, 2001)
The mound of Çatal Hüyük rising above the plain of the ‘Amuq Valley.
	Pottery identification lessons (F. Cobbing, 2001)
Members of the group with Jonathan Tubb, identifying surface pottery sherds on Tell Judeideh.

Last modified 3/11/2002