Shibaniba Explained

Tell Billa
Native Name:Shibaniba
Alternate Name:Tell Billa
Map Type:Iraq
Relief:yes
Coordinates:36.4336°N 43.3483°W
Location:Nineveh Province, Iraq
Type:settlement
Area:12 ha/30 acres
Excavations:1850, 1930–1934
Archaeologists:A.H. Layard, E.A. Speiser, C. Bache

Tell Billa (also Tell Billah, Tall Billa, and Baasheikhah) is an archaeological site near Bashiqa in Nineveh Province (Iraq) 20 kilometers northeast of Mosul.

History

The site consists of a large mound and covers around . 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.[1] A few preliterate clay tokens were also found.[2] On Stratum V a number of copper weapons, mainly axe heads and lance butts. One lance butt was inscribed with cuneiform characters.[3]

Early Bronze

In 2022 it was proposed that Tell Billa was the site of the Ur III period (ca 2100 BC) city Šimānum (possibly known as Asimānum during the Akkadian Empire).[4]

Late Bronze

Beginning in Middle Assyrian times the ancient city, not far from Assur, was named Šib/manibe in the Middle Assyrian period and Šibaniba in the Neo-Assyrian period. Its earlier name is not known.

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.[5]

The majority of excavated material, however, is from the Middle Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian times, including glyptic and epigraphic material.[6] Ninety One Middle Assyrian tablets (ca. 1400-1000 BC) are attested from Tell Billa/Shibaniba.[7] Several Middle Assyrian faience items were also found at Tell Billa.[8] The name Shibaniba relates to this period of its history.[9]

Some ceramic remains of the Parthian period were found at the site.[10]

Excavations

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.[11] The excavation was led by Ephraim Avigdor Speiser with Charles Bache.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] The work was complicated by the fact that the mound was divided up among 18 owners includinga Jacobite church.[18]

At the same time, these scholars explored the related nearby ancient site of Tepe Gawra, which is located about 8km (05miles) northeast of Billa.[14]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Sollberger E. and J. R. Kupper, "Inscriptions roy-ales sume ́ riennes et akkadiennes", Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1971
  2. Schmandt-Besserat, Denise, "An Ancient Token System: The Precursor to Numerals and Writing", Archaeology, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 32–39, 1986
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/9407/
  6. Creamer, Petra M. "A Neo-Assyrian Provincial Palace at Tell Billa", IRAQ 83, pp. 25-44, 2021
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20110617023650/http://cdli.ucla.edu/search/result.pt?result_format=list&size=100&-op_provenience=ct&provenience=billa Digital Tell Billa tablets at CDLI
  8. 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
  9. Jacob J. Finkelstein, "Cuneiform Texts from Tell Billa," Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 7, pp. 111–176, 1953
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. "The Expedition to Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra", Bulletin of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, vol. 3(2), pp. 59-66, 1931
  13. "Developments at Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra", Bulletin of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, vol. 3(3/4), pp. 94-95, 1932
  14. "Excavations at Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra", Bulletin of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, vol. 3(5), pp. 126-130, 1932
  15. https://archive.org/details/Speiser19241963SelectedWritings/page/n251/mode/1up
  16. Charles Bache, "Work of the Baghdad School", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, no. 51, pp. 20-26, 1933
  17. 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
  18. "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