Grd-i Tle 2016

The Hungarian Archaeological Mission of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest to Kurdistan (Iraq) lead by Tamás Dezső and Gábor Kalla has set out several goals for the first season (09.09.2016 – 07.09.2016) of the excavations at the tell-settlement of Grd-i Tle (Ranya Plain). The most determinant factor for the selection of this site was to identify and to investigate an administrative centre lying at the eastern frontier of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Moreover, since the site was occupied from the 7th millennium B.C. until the early or mid-19th century AD, it seemed to be appropriate to provide a firm, stratigraphically certi ed chronological reference point for the archaeological nds of the region. The rst task was to carry out the topographical survey of the site, which has been supplemented by field survey with the use of metal detector. After the survey three main locations have been set on the site. The first is situated on the very top of the tell, cutting through its north-eastern edge (Field 01). The second, smaller location occupies a section of the south-eastern plateau (Field 02), while for the third one was chosen a recently ploughed surface on the lower plateau of the southern slope of the site, where a higher concentration of the finds could have been observed during preliminary survey (Field 03). Our investigations revealed a fortress from the 18th–19th century at Field 01, a medieval cemetery with cist graves at Field 02, and a kiln at Field 03, which can be dated to the 18th–19th century as well. Besides the remarkable amount of ceramics, several metal finds have been found on the surface of each field. In case of Fields 01 and 02 we were able to reach the late antique levels.