Ban Qala, a Late Chalcolithic Site in the Mountain Region of Kurdistan, Iraq: A Report from the 2017 Excavation Season

Summary

Ban Qala, a site located in the mountainous valley of Qara Dagh, was first identified by Iraqi archaeologists in the 1940s. In 2015, a survey performed by the Qara Dagh Regional Archaeological Project determined the archaeological relevance of the site, which was then chosen as subject of an archaeological investigation. A step trench on the southern slope of the site verified the presence of LC 1-2 (4800/4500-3850 B.C.E.) and LC 3-5 (3850-3100 B.C.E.) occupation levels. This paper will discuss the data collected and provide interpretations on the implication of the Late Chalcolithic period in the Qara Dagh Valley. The presence of stone tools, particularly obsidian, and the strategic position of Ban Qala on a corridor that leads east to the Shahrizor plain and west to Chamchamal, could suggest that the site participated in some form of trade. Finally, the recovery of several bevelled rim bowls in situ suggests that local ceramic production was being carried out within the context of a wide-spread Mesopotamian ceramic tradition.

The Ban Qala excavation is one of the first conducted in the valley and will contribute to our knowledge on its occupational history, providing a regional perspective from the mountainous region of Northern Mesopotamia.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21715