Tell Hassuna

 archaeological site, neolithic age, tell (mound), burial mound

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Tel Hassuna is a Neolithic site found in the Assyrian region, located 22 miles south of Mosul in modern Iraq. In its prime, Tel Hassuna may have been surrounded by a stream on three sides. It is one of the earliest Mesopotamian sites, which dates back to late 7th millennium to late 6th millennium BCE, and is the type site for the Hassuna culture. These people, who used chipped stone hoes, represent some of the earliest farmers in northern Mesopotamia. There is evidence for the domestication of animals such as sheep, goats, and pigs. Hassuna inhabitants lived in houses made of tauf, or packed mud, surrounding open courtyards. In the central area of the site, the buildings were larger in size and seemed to have specific purposes other than housing inhabitants. Some material remains uncovered from previous excavations have included ovens used for baking, pots for grain storage possibly lined with bitumen or gypsum plaster to keep out moisture, and grinding stones to process grains such as emmer and barely. The pottery found at the site is called Hassuna pottery and is characterized by red slip on cream-colored clay. Herring-bone lines decorate the pottery. Stamp seals, which may have been used for indication of contents or ownership, usually accompany the pottery. There is evidence of turquoise in Hassuna, which would have been imported, and is an unusual find at early sites in Iraq. Other pottery included grey-burnished pieces which were probably attained through trade. At earlier levels there is a considerable amount of stone objects, flint, and obsidian. Beads, pendants, and other small pieces of jewelry have also been found. Evidence found at Tel Hassuna excavations indicates a reverence for the afterlife. A dozen pottery-jar infant burials have been found alongside more jars containing food and drink meant to sustain the child in the afterlife. Small figurines of a "mother-goddess" form made from reddish clay have been found. One figurine had a headdress created for her, molded from a type of green clay.

For more information on the site of Tel Hassuna, go to:

Lloyd, Seton, Fuad Safar, and Robert J. Braidwood. "Tell Hassuna Excavations by the Iraq Government." Journal of Near Eastern Studies 4.4 (Oct. 1945): 255-289.

or go to:

Roaf, Michael. Cultural atlas of Mesopotamia and the ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.

or go to:

McDonald, Mark. "Prehistoric Hassuna Culture in Iraq." The History of the Ancient Near East. 25 Jan 2007 <ancientneareast.tripod.com/HassunaOutline.html>