Islamic Period Settlement in the Tell Leilan Region (Northern Jazira): The Material Evidence from the 1995 Survey

This paper provides an initial evaluation of the settlement dynamics in the area around Tell Leilan (Northern Jazira) during the Islamic period based on the study of the ceramic material collected during the 1995 survey campaign. It concentrates on the description of ceramic groups and diagnostics, and is thus able to give a reliable dating for the Islamic period occupation in the region and allows us to trace an outline of settlement development in this rural landscape. The resulting patterns are discussed in the wider context of archaeological investigations in Northern Mesopotamia and Syria generally, and compared with data derived from textual sources which have generally provided a partial and incomplete account.