Yarim Tepe

The early farming settlement of Yarim Tepe dates back to c. 6000 BCE. The archaeological site is located c. 7 km (4.3 mi.) southwest of the town of Tal Afar in the northern Iraq Sinjar valley. Excavations of the mound sites have uncovered the layered remains of Hassuna culture and the later Halaf and Ubaid cultures have there roots there.

Yarim Tepe I: Hassuna cultural evidence consists of 13 building layers at the depth of 6.4 m. (21 ft.). Many rectangular furnaces and ceramic cooking ovens were found as was the earliest known kiln for ceramic production, dating to 6000 BCE. There were courtyards and alleys with mud-brick buildings and public granaries. Ceramic vases, some used for burials of children, stone utensils (including crushers and hacksaws), and female clay figurines were among artifacts found. Also found was evidence of the oldest Mesopotamian metallurgy, including a lead bracelet, copper beads and copper ore.

Yarim Tepe II: Halafían cultural evidence from c. 5000 BCE was located at a settlement site 250 m (820 ft.) west of the Yarim Tepe 1 site, and consists of 10 building layers at the depth of 7m. (23 ft.). Dwellings were primarily small one-room brick houses of the circular "tholos" plan. The excavations revealed bones of wild gazelles and domestic animals including pigs, goats, ox, and sheep. Artifacts uncovered included ceramic vessels in the shape of women and elephants and pottery with painting so fish, birds, gazelles. Burial customs included burials of skulls and cremations.

Yarim Tepe III: The site of the settlement is located adjacent to Yarim Tepe II, and consists of three layers Ubaid culture buildings on top of several layers from the Halafian culture. Halafian architecture renewed circular plans (shown in the CG model reconstruction here). with "tholos' houses alongside rectangular plans.

Elevation is c. 346 m. (1136 ft.) above sea level.

Construction: mud brick walls with mud mortar; it is speculated that clay and reed roofing was placed over a wooden support structure.

Sources of data for CG model:
1. Merpert N. Ya. 1993. The archaic phase of the Hassuna culture. In N. Yoffee, J. J. Clark (eds.), Early stages in the evolution of Mesopotamian civilization. Soviet excavations in Northern Iraq. The University of Arizona Press, Arizona.
2. Banning, E. B. 2003; Housing Neolithic Farmers, Near Eastern Archaeology, Mar-Jun 2003; ProQuest.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266393614_Housing_Neolithic_Farm