#  Digitisation and Publication of the Finds from the Swiss Archaeological Mission in Tall al-Hamidiya, Northeast Syria 

 



From 1984 to 2011, the Swiss Archaeological Mission excavated Tall al-Hamidiya in Northeast Syria. The Late Bronze Age acropolis, with its monumental structures, including the Southwest Palace (approx. 14,500 m²) and the Central Palace (approx. 38,500 m²), was central to a city of approximately 245 ha. The impressive structures and Hurro-Akkadian texts suggest that Tall al-Hamidiya was Taidu, the royal city of the Mitannian empire, which had dominated Northern Mesopotamia and the Levant (ca. 16th-13th century BCE). Middle Assyrian kings conquered the site (13th-11th century BCE) and continued its occupation into the Neo-Assyrian period (9th-8th century BCE). This makes Tall al-Hamidiya one of the few sites in the region with a well-documented sequence of Mitanni—Middle Assyrian—Neo Assyrian habitation.

From 1984 to 2020, Prof. Dr. Markus Wäfler (University of Bern) directed and funded the excavations. Since 2010/2011, the project has been situated at the University of Basel, where Dr. Oskar Kaelin, a project member since 1995 and co-director since 2008, has been affiliated.

The main goals of the project supported by the *Shelby White and Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications* and directed by [**Dr. Oskar Kaelin**](https://whitelevy.fas.harvard.edu/people/oskar-kaelin) are:

1. Ensure that all excavated data (photos, plans, drawings) is freely accessible online (in English) through the long-term preservation center *DaSCH – Swiss National Data and Service Center for the Humanities* to guarantee future accessibility (with Prof. Dr. Rita Gautschy and her team).
2. Produce a monograph (as a free e-book) analyzing the findings at Tall al-Hamidiya, contextualizing them within the history of the Khabur region and the Ancient Near East, particularly the Mitannian, Middle, and Neo-Assyrian periods.

Tall al-Hamidiya: <https://sites.google.com/site/hamidiyataidu/>

DaSCH-Website: <https://www.dasch.swiss/>



 

  ![Tall al-Hamidiya : The city in the Mitanni period](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/01%20Kaelin%20Tall%20al-Hamidiya%20The%20city%20in%20the%20Mitanni%20period%20TH%205%20fig%209.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 1: Tall al-Hamidiya : The city in the Mitanni period



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Residential terrace with main buildings excavated until 2011](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/02%20Kaelin%20Tall%20al-Hamidiya.%20Residential%20terrace%20with%20main%20buildings%20excavated%20until%202011.jpg)

 



 

 Fig.2: Residential terrace with main buildings excavated until 2011



   

 

 

 

 

  ![3D Residential terrace with main buildings excavated until 2011 ](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/03%20Kaelin%20Tall%20al-Hamidiya.%20Residential%20terrace%20with%20main%20buildings%20excavated%20until%202011%203D.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 3: 3D image of Residential terrace with main buildings excavated until 2011



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Room (109) Central Palace. Water conduit built with re-used clay hands](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/04%20Kaelin%20Tall%20al-Hamidiya.%20Room%20%28109%29%20Central%20Palace.%20Water%20conduit%20built%20with%20re-used%20clay%20hands.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 4: Room (109) Central Palace. Water conduit built with re-used clay hands



   

 

 

 

 

  ![Administrative tablet mentioning the god Varuna HT 40 dockets with sealing HMD 21 25–1  21 25–67 ](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/2025-05/05%20Kaelin%20Tall%20al-Hamidiya.%20Administrative%20tablet%20mentioning%20the%20god%20Varuna%20HT%2040%20dockets%20with%20sealing%20HMD%2021%2025%E2%80%931%20%2021%2025%E2%80%9367%20.jpg)

 



 

 Fig. 5: Administrative tablet mentioning the god Varuna HT 40 dockets with sealing HMD 21 25–1 21 25–67



   

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ 2025 Sponsored Projects ](/sponsored-projects-year/2025-sponsored-projects)
- [ Levant - Northern ](/sponsored-projects-area/levant-northern)