Pre-state ceremonial monuments, rich mortuary arrangements, forts, walled settlements and temples: all these occur in a narrow stretch of the Euphrates River valley prior to the rise of Carchemish, one of the major capital cities of the Ancient Near East. This well-illustrated book examines recently discovered evidence from the hinterlands of archaeologically inaccessible Carchemish in its regional context. Amongst the 18 contributors Tony Wilkinson characterizes the neighbouring regions of Carchemish, Guy Bunnens elaborates on a site hierarchy within the valley and Gioacchino Falsone appraises unpublished records from excavations at Carchemish itself. These material culture studies are important for those interested in the emergence of complex societies that do not conform to the Mesopotamian paradigm.

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Contributors
• List of Abbreviations
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• 1 - New perspectives on the Carchemish sector of the Middle Euphrates River valley in the 3rd Millennium BC
  • A question of boundaries
  • Middle Euphrates River valley sectors (Fig. 1.2)
  • Environment (Fig. 1.3)
  • Characterising the Carchemish sector: pre-rescue excavation approaches
  • Pastoralists and the role of tribal societies
  • The era of rank societies
  • The era of regional states
  • A note on chronology
  • A note on spelling
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 2 - Archaeological regions in the neighbourhood of Carchemish
  • Regional patterns of settlement
  • The Euphrates Valley
  • Geomorphology and the missing landscapes of the Euphrates Valley
  • The Euphrates Valley and communication networks
  • Conclusions
  • Appendix
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 3 - Site hierarchy in the Tishrin Dam area and third millennium geopolitics in Northern Syria
  • Introduction
  • Site hierarchy according to surface area and archaeological excavations
  • Settlement distribution (Fig. 3.1)
  • The broader context
  • The Ebla archives and the political geography of the Tishrin Dam area
  • Tell Ahmar and Abarsal (Fig. 3.2)
  • Conclusion
  • References
• 4 - Early Bronze Age burial types and social-cultural identity within the northern Euphrates Valley
  • Introduction
  • Euphrates burial typology
  • Burial types and their geographical distribution
  • Burial types and ethnic identity
  • Conclusions
  • References
• 5 - The ‘champagne-cup’ period at Carchemish. A review of the Early Bronze Age levels on the Acropolis Mound and the problem of the Inner Town
  • Introduction
  • The south-east mound
  • Problems of terminology and periodization
  • The ‘champagne-cup’ horizon (EB I–II)
  • Pottery repertoire
  • Other shapes
  • The Amarna horizon (EB III–IV): the evidence from the Inner Town
  • A historical question
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 6 - A ‘high’ terrace at Gre Virike to the north of Carchemish: power of local rulers as founders?
  • The site
  • Comparison
  • Building activity
  • Social aspects
  • References
• 7 - Was there a post-Uruk collapse in the Carchemish area?
  • Introduction
  • Architecture and stratigraphy
  • Pottery and typo-chronology
  • The Carchemish region in the post-Uruk period
  • Conclusion
  • References
• 8 - Establishment of a Middle/Upper Euphrates Early Bronze I culture from the fragmentation of the Uruk world. New data from Zeytinli Bahçe Höyük (Urfa, Turkey)
  • Salvage excavation at Zeytinli Bahçe Höyük: its contribution to the understanding of 4th to 3rd millennium cultural developments in the Carchemish region
  • Concluding remarks
  • References
• 9 - The Tilbes Project (Birecik Dam, Turkish Euphrates): the Early Bronze evidence
  • Background and goals of the Project
  • The Late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze I transitional occupation
  • The Early Bronze I occupation
  • The Early Bronze II/III occupation
  • The Late EB IVA–B occupation
  • Some preliminary conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 10 - Dynamics, diagnostic criteria and settlement patterns in the Carchemish area during the Early Bronze period
  • Introduction
  • Early EBA: development of several small fortified settlements (c. 3100–2900 BC) followed by ruralization (c. 2900–2700 BC)
  • Second quarter of the 3rd millennium BC (c. 2700–2500 BC): settlement enlargement or new foundations
  • Second half of the 3rd millennium BC (c. 2500–2100 BC): great period of urbanism, wealth and prosperity; new means of exchange; specialization in olive oil and wine production
  • Early Bronze–Middle Bronze transitional period? (c. 2100–2000 BC)
  • Synthesis and conclusions
  • Epilogue
  • References
• 11 - The Early Bronze Age in the Syrian north-west Jezireh: the Tell es-Sweyhat region
  • Tell Hajji Ibrahim and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age
  • Tell es-Sweyhat and later phases of the Early Bronze Age
  • Excavations on the west side of the Main Mound, 1989–1995
  • Early–mid 3rd millennium remains: southern trenches
  • The centre of the late 3rd millennium citadel
  • Summary
  • References
• 12 - The metalwork of the Carchemish region and the development of grave repertories during the third millennium BC
  • Introduction
  • The evidence from the fourth millennium BC
  • Metalwork of the earlier third millennium BC
  • Metalwork of the later third millennium BC
  • Comparison with the evidence from Mesopotamia
  • References
• 13 - Regional culture and metal objects in the area of Carchemish during the Early Bronze Age
  • Introduction
  • The Birecik Dam Cemetery
  • The Ayyıldız and Dibecik tombs (Fig. 13.9)
  • Chronological considerations
  • Local, regional and inter-regional elements in Carchemish area metalwork (Fig. 13.10)
  • Conclusion
  • References
• 14 - Is there a Carchemish regional glyptic style? Reflections on sealing practices in the northern Euphrates region
  • ‘Fara-style’ seals
  • Carchemish
  • Carchemish region
  • Observation: the Jerablus Tahtani assemblage
  • 3rd millennium Carchemish regional glyptic style
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 15 - The Carchemish region in the Early Bronze Age
  • The archaeological data
  • Interpretation
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
• 16 - Fruit stands and the definition of a cultural area around Carchemish
  • Introduction
  • Why fruit-stands?
  • Fruit-stand typology
  • Chronology
  • Distribution of the fruit-stands
  • Conclusions
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• 17 - Plain and luxury wares of the third millennium BC in the Carchemish region: two case-studies from Tell Shiyukh Tahtani
  • Introduction
  • The sugar-loaf beaker and the red-banded chalice
  • Diffusion (Fig. 17.7)
  • A room pottery inventory of the EB IV period
  • Ceramic analysis
  • Concluding remarks
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
• 18 - The Carchemish region as a ceramic province in the Early Bronze Age: analysis of the ceramics from the Carchemish Dam focusing on the material of Gre Virike
  • Introduction
  • Plain Simple Ware (Figs 18.1–3)
  • Late Reserved Slip Ware (Fig. 18.4)
  • Euphrates Ware related to Metallic Ware (Fig. 18.5)
  • Ring Burnished Ware (Figs 18.6, 18.7.1–11)
  • Band Painted Ware (Fig. 18.7.12–17)
  • Cooking Pot Ware (Fig. 18.8)
  • Conclusion
  • References