Located in North Syria, on the left bank of the Euphrates river (36° 47’ 14’’ North, 38° 02’ 09’’ East), Tell Shiukh Fawqâni is one of the key-sites for investigating the still poorly known period marked by the collapse of the Hittite Empire and by the destruction of several important cities such as Ugarit and Emar. Its cremation graveyard, discovered by chance about 70m north of the tell base, yielded 128 cremation graves dated to the end of the Late Bronze Age and to the beginning of the Iron Age. Most of the graves were untouched: the excellent state of preservation of the graves, the quality and quantity of the human remains, the large variety of the funerary equipment, and especially the number and quality of iron objects, allow us to propose a wide and renewed assessment of North Syria during the so-called “Dark Ages.” This crucial period is characterized by large population movements: Sea Peoples on the Levantine coast, Aramaean groups whose demographic and economic weight increased significantly in northern Syria, and eventually the Assyrians who conquered the region at the end of the 9th century bce. Throughout this period of profound changes, the cemetery seems to have been in constant use.
The objective of this publication is first to disseminate new archaeological and osteological data, which are chronologically anchored by a radiocarbon dating. It also aims to promote new approaches in funerary archaeology by examining how burials were practiced in a dynamic perspective, from the preparation of the corpse to its interment in the cemetery. Finally, it will contribute to a better understanding of the society in northern Syria between the end of the late Bronze Age and the onset of Iron Age, as reflected by its funerary practices and by the widespread iron adoption for tools and weapons.
The publication project is directed by Aline Tenu.
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