Hamoukar

Hamoukar (in Arabic: حموقار) is a large archaeological site located in the Jazira region of northeastern Syria near the Iraqi border (Al Hasakah governorate). Excavation by a joint Syrian-American expedition (by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and the Syrian Department of Antiquities) since 1999 have shown that this site houses the remains of one of the world's oldest known cities, leading scholars to believe that cities in this part of the world emerged much earlier than previously thought.

Traditionally, the origins of urban developments in this part of the world have been sought in the riverine societies of southern Mesopotamia (southern Iraq). This is the area of ancient Sumer, where around 4000 BC many of the famous Mesopotamian cities such as Ur and Uruk emerged, given this region the attributes of "Cradle of Civilization" and "Heartland of Cities." Following the discoveries at Hamoukar, this definition may have to extended further up the Tigris River to include that part of northern Syria where Hamoukar is located.

This archaeological discovery in Syria could mean that civilizations were advanced enough to reach the size and organizational structure that was necessary to be considered a city could have actually occurred before the advent of a written language. Previously it was believed that a system of written language was a necessary predecessor of that type of complex city. Most importantly, the archaeologists believe this apparent city was thriving at least 4000 BC - which is 6,000 years ago and functioned independently from Sumer. Until now, the oldest cities with developed seals and writing were thought to be Sumerian Uruk and Ubaid in Mesopotamia, which would be the southern one-third of Iraq today.

The discovery at Hamoukar suggests that some of the fundamental ideas behind cities—including specialization of labor, a system of laws and government, and artistic development—may have begun earlier than they had previously believed. The fact that this discovery is such a large city is what is the most exciting to archeologists. While they have found small villages and individual pieces that date much older than Hamoukar, nothing can quite compare to the discovery of this size and magnitude. Discoveries have been made here that have never been seen before, Islamic, Hellenistic and sixth millennium BC materials alike.

Recent excavation work undertaken in 2005 and 2006 has shown that this city was destroyed by warfare by around 3500 BC-—probably the earliest urban warfare attested so far in the archaeological record of the Near East. [http://www.repubblica.it/2007/01/sezioni/scienza_e_tecnologia/battaglia-antica/battaglia-antica/battaglia-antica.html]

References

* [http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/PROJ/HAM/Hamoukar.html Hamoukar Project Homepage] at the [http://oi.uchicago.edu Oriental Institute] of the [http://www.uchicago.edu University of Chicago]
* [http://research.uchicago.edu/highlights/item.php?id=218 Video on Hamoukar Expedition] at the [http://www.uchicago.edu University of Chicago website]
* [http://video.on.nytimes.com/index.jsp?fr_story=8b174efe31e06702c3c43eaf6c3a38bd4928593b "In the Ruins: Tell Hamoukar"] , [http://www.nytimes.com New York Times Science Video] (January 16 2007).
* [http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/07/070116.hamoukar.shtml "New details of first major urban battle emerge along with clues about civilization’s origins"] , press release by [http://www-news.uchicago.edu University of Chicago News Office] (January 16 2007).
* [http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/05/051216.hamoukar.shtml "University of Chicago-Syrian team finds first evidence of warfare in ancient Mesopotamia"] , press release by [http://www-news.uchicago.edu University of Chicago News Office] (December 16 2005).
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/science/16batt.html?ex=1326603600en=cee0d5192f96ae88ei=5088partner=rssnytemc=rss "Ruins in Northern Syria Bear the Scars of a City’s Final Battle"] by John Wilford, "New York Times" (January 16 2007)
* [http://www-news.uchicago.edu/citations/05/051216.hamoukar-nyt.html "Archaeologists Unearth a War Zone 5,500 Years Old"] by John Wilford, "New York Times" (December 16 2005; reposted by [http://www-news.uchicago.edu University of Chicago News Office] )
* [http://www.truefacts.co.uk/articles/a0011.html Truefacts article]