The Assyrian–Aramaean interaction in the Upper Khabur: the archaeological evidence from Tell Barri iron age layers

At the end of the 2nd millennium and the beginning of the 1st millennium bc, the process of the interaction between Assyrians and Aramaeans, of crucial importance for the political and cultural development of the Neo-Assyrian empire appears diversified and not homogenous, depending on regional factors of a socio-political nature and diversity in the landscape of Near East. The presence of Aramaeans in the Upper Khabur is still unclear since the material culture does not provide sufficient information. The lack of textual records and iconographic sources, limits our perception of possible political changes or the presence of new cultural entities at Tell Barri, directing us to investigate this problem based solely on evidence acquired from a limited set of archaeological data. However, the stratified excavations provide an opportunity to examine this process on a site where cultural and political changes, or the level of interaction between these two distinct identities, can be evaluated through the material assemblages. This paper intends to present the archaeological sequence corresponding to the transitional phase (Late Bronze Age–IA) with a particular focus on the Early Iron Age levels of Tell Barri. Evidence seems to suggest that the site was inhabited by a single Assyrianised community and if newcomers arrived or new groups settled, they would have been absorbed and integrated almost completely into the local society.