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Books by Anna Smogorzewska

At the core of community life, the house and household constitute a socio-economic unit that when... more At the core of community life, the house and household constitute a socio-economic unit that when analyzed in all its respective archaeological aspects—architecture, domestic features and cultural artifacts—can paint a vivid picture of the everyday life of the people that lived there once.
Tell Arbid in the later mid 3rd millennium BC was a changing town, growing from its Ninevite 5 roots (EJZ1–EJZ2) to reach its largest size ever in the late EJZ2 and EJZ 3 (2550–2350 BC). This formative period in the socio-economic development of the town, itself a representative of the increasingly complex process of the urbanization of Bronze Age sites in the Syrian Jezirah, is well illustrated by the residential district that was uncovered in Area D. Explored in1996-2009 by a team of Polish archaeologists including the author, the houses of Area D and the prolific assemblage of finds, which covered all categories, from houses and their installations to graves, and a rich repository of objects of material culture and biological remains, including pottery gave ample opportunity for an in-depth study of everyday life in a middle-sized town in the northern Syrian Jezirah.
The results served to reconstruct house architecture, social organization, subsistence economy, and burial customs in the town and, by extrapolation, in an important region in the Near East at a key stage in its civilizational development.

Papers by Anna Smogorzewska

Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy

This paper discusses the possible functions of ceramic vessels in the Neolithic Gulf, based on ne... more This paper discusses the possible functions of ceramic vessels in the Neolithic Gulf, based on new data from the Ubaid-related settlement of Bahra 1 (Kuwait). Two pottery groups identified at the site – Ubaid Ware and Coarse Red Ware – are found in great numbers and variety of forms which providing grounds for a reconsideration of the role of pottery vessels in the societies of the Gulf. Analysis of this material reveals a more varied function of pottery vessels compared to that suggested in earlier studies. It was also possible to define the function of certain pottery vessels in more detail, both in their economic and social context.

Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 110(1), 2020

Houses with central courtyards, examples of which were uncovered at Tell Arbid, show that standar... more Houses with central courtyards, examples of which were uncovered at Tell Arbid, show that standardization in house plans and spatial organization characteristic for EJZ 3 domestic architecture, can be traced back to the late Ninevite 5 period. Houses of this type were built at plots of lands and had a regular internal layout. Also in terms of socioeconomic organization houses with central courtyards of late Ninevite 5 date can be regarded as a reference to the EJZ 3 period.

Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 2020

Stories told around the fountain.Papers offered to Piotr Bieliński on His 70th Bithday, 2019

The reconstruction of the meat diet in the Syrian Jezirah in the EJZ 2-EJZ 3 periods, presented i... more The reconstruction of the meat diet in the Syrian Jezirah in the EJZ 2-EJZ 3 periods, presented in this article, is based on data from the site of Tell Arbid (Area D), both archaeological sources and the results of archaeozoological analyses, supplemented with a reading of written sources and ethnographic data. It was possible to identify the kinds of meat consumed as well as the cooking techniques used by the inhabitants of Tell Arbid to prepare their meat dishes.

The paper presents a new perspective on pottery traditions in the Gulf during the Neolithic perio... more The paper presents a new perspective on pottery traditions in the Gulf during the Neolithic period, based on new data from the Ubaid-related site of Bahra 1 in Kuwait. The site yielded an assemblage containing several different pottery types, classified as Ubaid Ware and Coarse Red Ware. These pottery groups were varied in many aspects: morphological types, technology, and provenance. Their main characteristics and cultural context are discussed, as well as the cross-pottery connections. The significance of these ceramic vessels for the Gulf population and their socioeconomic context are also considered in this paper, given the new evidence from Bahra 1.

This paper presents major trends in pottery development in the final Ninevite 5 period, which cor... more This paper presents major trends in pottery development in the final Ninevite 5 period, which corresponds to the final EJZ 2 period in the Syrian Jezirah. This discussion is based primarily on a pottery assemblage from Tell Arbid, a site in northeast Syria. The pottery was recovered from a dwelling quarter (Area D), where both final Ninevite 5 (final EJZ 2) and post-Ninevite 5 (EZJ 3) occupation were recognized. Excavations at Tell Arbid have provided new data regarding the late Ninevite 5 pottery repertoire and its internal development. Morphological types of vessels and their technology are discussed at length. Major traits of the final Ninevite 5 pottery are recognized and defined, including pottery " index fossils " as well as some less distinct pottery types. Chronological variability of pottery types has also been traced, special attention being given to continuity and changes in pottery production between final Ninevite 5 and post-Ninevite 5 (EJZ 3) periods. A trend toward standardization visible in the final Ninevite 5 pottery development is related to political and economic factors in the Syrian Jezirah at this time.

The paper presents preliminary results of an analysis of 51 samples of plant macrofossils coming ... more The paper presents preliminary results of an analysis of 51 samples of plant macrofossils coming from various archaeological contexts from the site of Tell Arbid in Northeast Syria. The contexts were dated mainly to the 3rd millennium BC (EJI–EJV) with a few being of 2nd millennium BC date (Khabur Ware and Mitanni periods). Cultivated plants were represented by cereals and pulses. The cultivation of at least three cereal species is documented, including a hulled variety of two-rowed barley, glumed einkorn and/or emmer wheat, and a species of naked wheat, probably macaroni wheat. Vegetables included lentil, bitter vetch, grass pea, and garden pea. Plants from the Ninevite 5 period (EJI–EJII) and their significance in the Tell Arbid economy are discussed in greater detail owing to the highest number of samples studied.

Report on a season’s work at the largest Ubaid-period settlement in the Gulf region, located in t... more Report on a season’s work at the largest Ubaid-period settlement in the Gulf region, located in the region of Al-Subiyah in Kuwait. Description of architectural remains and a comprehensive study of several categories of finds: Ubaid and Arabian Neolithic pottery, flint and quartz tools, typical Ubaid small finds, shells, and animal bones.

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, 2010

Damaszener Mitteilungen 15 (2006), 2008

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 23/1, 2014

Morphological and technological issues of cooking pot production are relevant to the functionalit... more Morphological and technological issues of cooking pot production are relevant to the functionality of kitchen ware. An assessment of the morphology and production technology of Ninevite 5 kitchen ware is undertaken in this article, based primarily on a collection of kitchen ware (some 80 diagnostic pieces) from Ninevite 5 levels excavated by a PCMA UW team on Tell Arbid. This collection was supplemented with material from a number of other sites in northeastern Syria. The discussion highlights the morphological variation of vessels (pots, jars, bowls and lids), considered in the light of their size, proportions and wall orientation. It also looks into technological pottery properties, such as raw material, temper, surface treatment and firing temperature. Intended use is discussed at length, special attention being given to functional requirements, such as thermal shock resistance and heating efficiency, and the morphological and technological factors that influenced them.

Polish Archaeology in Mediterranean 22, 2013