Report on the 1987-2004 campaigns at Tell
Tuneinir, Syria. Rescue excavations have been conducted in twelve
different areas of the site. Research objectives include the definition
of the city's Islamic Period commercial structures, identification
of features related to the church and monastery used by a Syriac
speaking congregation, and investigation of various pre-Islamic
strata.
We thank
Republic of Syria for allowing foreign archaeological missions to
conduct rescue excavation at sites impacted by the development projects in Syria.
Heavy rains during the winter/spring of 2004 resulted in flood waters
covering Areas 9, 10, 11, and 51. Professor Michael Fuller visited the site
during the end of May 2004 to evaluate the damage to the site. The damage
to Areas 9, 10, and 11 is extreme as can be seen in the summary of those areas.
The site was last visited in January of 2010 by Michael, Neathery and Amira Fuller
to determine the impact of the rising and receding shoreline. The Area 9 monastery church
continues to rapidly deteriorate as a result of constant flooding, while the impact on other
areas is not so dramatic.
Our fieldwork at Tuneinir is finished. It was our plan to return to the dighouse and spend several months studying the pottery sherds and skeletons stored a the site. That has not been possible because of the continued unrest in Syria.
This website continues to expand with more artifact images
being added - specifically of the diagnostic coins and pottery finds. We continue to work on specialized articles
and the final publication. Michael lectures about the discoveries at Tell Tuneinir on the AIA (Archaeological
Institute of America) lecture circuit.
The website was migrated from an earlier web address and we apologize that this
causes delay and frustration.
A thousand thanks to the Syrian Department of Antiquities
for all of their help and assistance on this project. A special
thanks go to the Director General,
Director of Foreign Missions, and all of the excellent
Syrian Archaeologists who are members of the Department of Antiquities:
Dr.Abd Hanna Bagdo (Head of the Department of Antiquities of
al Hasake) Mr. Ibreheim Nanoo (Repersentive of the Department of
Antiquities al Hasake) and Ass'ad Al- Mahmood (Chief of the Department
of Antiquities of Deir ez-Zor).
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