Tell Aswad

Tell Aswad (Black hill; Arabic: تل أسود‎) is a large prehistoric, neolithic tell, about 5 hectares (540,000 sq ft) in size, located around 55 kilometres (34 mi) from Damascus in Syria, on a tributary of the Barada River at the eastern end of the village of Jdeidet el Khass.

History

Tell Aswad was discovered in 1967 by Henri de Contenson who led excavations in 1971–1972. The Aswadian culture found by de Contenson was far too advanced to be Neolithic and it had to be classified into a new, distinct culture. In 1978, the discovery of new layers and the use of the Carbon-14 dating system led to the view that the whole settlement can be brought back to the Neolithic.

Archaeological findings

The first fieldwork season started in 2001 and continued in 2002. When the fieldwork resumed in 2004 and 2006, the earlier excavations were completed. In 2007, more than 13,000 flint and obsidian artifacts were studied and a radiocarbon dating sample was taken from them. The Neolithic nature of the context led to the identification of a certain number of these tools as microliths.

Agriculture

The inhabitants of Tell Aswad invented the brick by modelling clay from voluntary soil compaction, and organised different dwelling levels. The many discoveries of obsidian tools from Anatolia are proof of early commercial exchanges. They have also uncovered a vast agricultural system in the Aswadian culture that indicates a high level of knowledge in the manipulation of crops' genetic heritage.

Animal domestication

The inhabitants had domesticated goats, sheep, and cattle. Dogs, cats and gazelles were found in the early layers while in the upper layer, bones of domesticated pigs were found. The pig bones found in the upper layers were different from those in the lower layers, indicating that a variant of the pigs had been bred to be able to live in a semi-desert environment.

See also

• Prehistoric Syria
• Neolithic Revolution
• History of agriculture