Excavations at Tell Brak, 1983–84

Extract

The fifth and sixth seasons of excavations at Tell Brak took place from mid-March to early June of 1983 and 1984 respectively. The expedition was sponsored by the Institute of Archaeology, University of London, and financed by generous grants from the National Geographic Society, the British Academy, the British School of Archaeology in Iraq, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Crowther-Beynon Fund of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge University, as well as private contributions. The staff in 1983 included the writer as Director and architect, Mr. David Jeffreys as Assistant Director, and Dr. Joan Oates who took charge of the pottery and small finds, assisted by Miss Jennifer Oates and Miss Susan Oates. Site supervisors were Miss Jane Grenville, Dr. Glenn Schwartz, Mr. Michael Parker Pearson and Mr. Richard James. In 1984 Mr. Jeffreys was to our great regret unable to be with us, but his responsibility for the excavation of Area CH was most ably undertaken by M.Jean-Marc Meunier of the University of Liège. The site supervisors in 1984 were Dr. Irving Finkel of the British Museum, Mr. Graham Philip, Mr. Donald Matthews and Mr. Andrew Cook, and Mr. Michael Charles joined us as palaeobotanist. I should like to express my thanks to all my colleagues and, on behalf of the whole expedition, to acknowledge our debt to Dr. Antoine Suliman, who served as the representative of the Directorate General of Antiquities in both seasons and was of the greatest assistance to us both as a site supervisor and in dealing with administrative matters. I must also express our gratitude to Dr. Afif Bahnassi, Director General of Antiquities and Museums, and to all our Syrian colleagues in Damascus, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor and Hasake for their unfailing and friendly cooperation. We were especially pleased this season to receive a visit from Dr. Adnan Bounni and his expedition, which gave us a welcome opportunity to discuss our work with a senior member of the Directorate-General at Brak itself. Credit for the trouble-free conditions in which we work is due largely to the Mudir Nahiya of Tell Brak, who has for many years taken a great interest in the excavations and assisted us in many ways.