Shibaniba

Tell Billa (also Tell Billah and Baasheikhah) is an archaeological site near Bashiqa in Nineveh Province (Iraq) 20 kilometers northeast of Mosul. Beginning in Middle Assyrian times the ancient city, not far from Assur, was named Shibaniba (also Šibanibe). Its earlier name is not known. In 2022 it was proposed that Tell Billa was the site of the Ur III period Hurrian city Šimānum (known as Asimānum during the Akkadian Empire).[1]

Tell Billa
Shibaniba
Shibaniba is located in Iraq
Shibaniba
Shown within Iraq
Alternative nameTell Billa
LocationNineveh Province, Iraq
Coordinates36°26′1″N 43°20′54″E
Typesettlement
Site notes
Excavation dates1850, 1930–1934
ArchaeologistsA.H. Layard, E.A. Speiser, C. Bache

Archaeology

The site consists of a large mound and covers around 30 acres (12 ha). After some minor soundings done by Austen Henry Layard around 1850, Tell Billa was excavated between 1930 and 1934 by a team from the University of Pennsylvania and the American Schools of Oriental Research.[2] The excavation was led by Ephraim Avigdor Speiser with Charles Bache.[3][4][5][6][7][8] The work was complicated by the fact that the mound was divided up among 18 owners including a Jacobite church.[9]

At the same time, these scholars explored the related nearby ancient site of Tepe Gawra, which is located about 8 km (5.0 mi) northeast of Billa.[5]

History

There is some evidence of occupation as far back as the Uruk period, including some Hurrian presence in the middle second millennium. An Uruk period cylinder seal was found at the site, a presentation scene of Istar.[10] A few preliterate clay tokens were also found.[11] The Hurrian artifacts were identified in the excavators' Stratum 3. The comparison with the similar artifacts from Nuzi led Speiser to conclude that the Hurrians settled at Billa before they moved on to Nuzi.[12]

The majority of excavated material, however, is from the Middle Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian times, including glyptic and epigraphic material.[13] Ninety One Middle Assyrian tablets (ca. 1400-1000 BC) are attested from Tell Billa/Shibaniba.[14] Several Middle Assyrian faience items were also found at Tell Billa.[15] The name Shibaniba relates to this period of its history.[16]

Some ceramic remains of the Parthian period were found at the site.[17]

See also

References
  1. Edmonds, Alexander Johannes, and Petra M. Creamer, "More to Tell About Billa!", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1515/za-2022-0011
  2. Layard A H, "Nineveh and its Remains: with an account of a visit to the Chaldean Christians of Kurdistan, and the Yezidis, or devil worshipers; and an inquiry into the manners and arts of the ancient Assyrians", John Murray, London, vol. 1, 1849
  3. "The Expedition to Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra", Bulletin of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, vol. 3(2), pp. 59-66, 1931
  4. "Developments at Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra", Bulletin of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, vol. 3(3/4), pp. 94-95, 1932
  5. "Excavations at Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra", Bulletin of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, vol. 3(5), pp. 126-130, 1932
  6. E. A. Speiser, "The Bearing of the Excavations at Tell Billa and at Tepe Gawra upon the Ethnic Problems of Ancient Mesopotamia", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. XXXVI, pp. 29-35, 1932
  7. Charles Bache, "Work of the Baghdad School", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 51 , pp. 20-26, 1933
  8. Charles Bache, "From Mr. Bache's First Report on the Joint Excavations at Tepe Gawra and Tell Billah", 1932-3, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 49, pp. 8-14, 1933
  9. "University of Pennsylvania Museum - Baghdad School Expedition at Billah (letter from E. A. Speiser)", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 40, pp. 11-14, 1930
  10. Sollberger E. and J. R. Kupper, "Inscriptions roy-ales sume ́ riennes et akkadiennes", Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1971
  11. Schmandt-Besserat, Denise, "An Ancient Token System: The Precursor to Numerals and Writing", Archaeology, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 32–39, 1986
  12. Speiser, E. A., "The Pottery of Tell Billa", The Museum Journal XXIII, no. 3, pp. 249-308, September, 1933
  13. Creamer, Petra M. "A Neo-Assyrian Provincial Palace at Tell Billa", IRAQ 83, pp. 25-44, 2021
  14. Digital Tell Billa tablets at CDLI
  15. Puljiz, Ivana, "Faience for the empire: A Study of Standardized Production in the Middle Assyrian State", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 111, no. 1, pp. 100-122, 2021
  16. Jacob J. Finkelstein, "Cuneiform Texts from Tell Billa," Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 7, pp. 111–176, 1953
  17. Haerinck, E., "Twinspouted Vessels and Their Distribution in the near East from the Achaemenian to the Sasanian Periods", Iran, vol. 18, pp. 43–54, 1980

Further reading
  • Charles Bache, "From Mr. Bache’s Reports on the Joint Excavation at Tell Billah", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 50, 1933
  • Creamer, Petra M, "Domestic Architecture and Household Structure at Late Bronze Age Tell Billa", Ancient Near Eastern Studies 58, pp. 147-172, 2021
  • Galter, Hannes D., "Texts and Fragments: Ein Tonnagel Adaneraris II. Aus Tell Billa", Journal of cuneiform studies 41.2, pp. 235-236, 1989
  • Goodman, Reed Charles, "Tell Billa's Bull Pendant: A Connection to Middle Assyrian Assur", Assyromania and More. In Memory of Samuel M. Paley, hrsg. v. Friedhelm Pedde, Nathanael Shelley (marru 4)., pp. 187-196, 2018
  • Donald Matthews, "Middle Assyrian Glyptic from Tell Billa", Iraq, vol. 53, pp. 17-42, 1991
  • Claudio Saporetti, "Middle Assyrian Texts of Tell Billa", (Graphemic Categorization, No 3), Undena Publications, 1990, ISBN 0-89003-159-2
  • Speiser, Dr., "The Excavation of Tell Billah: Letter from Dr. Speiser to the Directors of the American School of Oriental Research in Baghdad and of the University Museum,(October 30, 1931)", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 44.1, pp. 2-5, 1931
  • Speiser, Dr., "Tell Billah: Letter from Dr. Speiser to the Directors of the American School in Baghdad and the University Museum." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 45.1, pp. 32-34, 1932
  • Speiser, E. A., "An inscribed lance-butt from Tell Billah V", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 50.1, pp. 11-13, 1933
  • Speiser, E. A., "An Assyrian Document of the Ninth Century BC from Tell Billah", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 54.1, pp. 20-21, 1934
  • C. L. Wooley and E.A. Speiser, "Excavations at Ur;the Pottery of Tell Billa", The Museum Journal, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 249–308, 1933
  • Speiser, E. A., "Gleanings from the Tell Billa texts", Symbolae ad iura orientis antiqui pertinentes Paolo Koschaker dedicatae, Leiden, Brill, pp. 141–50, 1939
  • Speiser, E. A., "The Cuneiform Tablets from Tell Billa", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 71, pp. 23–24, 1938
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