Tell Ahmar III. Neo-Assyrian Pottery from Area C

Tell Ahmar, ancient Til Barsib, on the east bank of the Euphrates River, close to the confluence of the Sajur River, was ideally placed to function as a crossing point from upper Mesopotamia to northern Syria. To a large extent the prominent and strategic location of Tell Ahmar determined the Assyrian interest in the site and it is apparent that Tell Ahmar reached its maximum size under the Assyrians.

This study presents the Neo-Assyrian pottery from the excavations in Area C at Tell Ahmar. At least three buildings were identified in Area C. The distribution of the different pottery wares and types reflects patterns associated with the different activity areas identified within the buildings in Area C. Some wares and types were found with high degrees of frequency, other wares and types occurred infrequently. The buildings in Area C were only occupied for a short duration and this limited period of use is reflected in the ceramic evidence. The Area C pottery from Stratum 2 may be dated to the seventh century BCE, and most likely to the second half of the seventh century BCE.

The Area C pottery from Tell Ahmar displays many correlations with other contemporary site assemblages. The Tell Ahmar pottery finds close parallels with similar wares and shapes in the Assyrian heartland, especially at Nimrud. The value of the Neo-Assyrian pottery from Tell Ahmar is that it offers an extensive ceramic corpus from three closely related residential buildings of an important provincial centre located in the middle and upper Euphrates valley of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.