article

An open gate: cities of the fourth millennium BC (Tell Brak 1997)

Cambridge archaeological journal7 (2) • Published In 1997 • Pages: 287-307

By: Oates, David, Oates, Joan.

Abstract
Based on the authors' field work at Tell Brak in 1997, limited as it was in scope, yet it has significantly widened our perspective on early urbanism. Although future evidence may well sustain the belief that we must look to south Mesopotamia for the world's first cities, an increasing body of evidence from North Mesopotamia points to an apparently earlier, and seemingly independent, urban development in that region represented for example, by Tell Brak. Fourth millennium evidence from sites like Hamoukar, to the east of Brak …and Tell al Hawa…sustain a general picture of prosperous settlements of growing complexity on the northern plain early in the fourth millennium BC (p. 296).
Subjects
Ceramic technology
Masonry
Chronologies and culture sequences
Cultural stratigraphy
Dwellings
tradition
Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Middle East
Sub Region
Middle East
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Archaeologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle; 2006
Field Date
1997
Coverage Date
6000-5100 BP (4000-3100 BC)
Coverage Place
Tell Brak, Khabur Region, Syria
Notes
David Oates and Joan Oates
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
91658653
LCSH
Middle East--Civilization--To 622