Papers by Valentina Oselini
in: Groma. Documenting Archaeology 7 (2022), Proceedings of Archeo.FOSS XV 2021. Open software, hardware, processes, data and formats in archaeological research, pp. 40-51
Do I know you? Points of Contact between Northern and Central/Southern Mesopotamian Ceramic Traditions in the 2nd millennium BC, in: Coppini, C., Cyrus, G., Golestaneh, E. H. (eds), Bridging the Gap: Disciplines, Times, and Spaces in Dialogue. Volume 3, Archaeopress, Oxford: 52-72. Bridging the Gap: Disciplines, Times, and Spaces in Dialogue, 2022
Scientific Report, 2023
Tells are multi-layered, archaeological mounds representing anthropogenic landforms common in ari... more Tells are multi-layered, archaeological mounds representing anthropogenic landforms common in arid regions. In such contexts, the preservation of the archaeological record is mined by ongoing climate changes, shift in land use, and intense human overgrazing. Such natural and human-driven factors tune the response of archaeological soils and sediments to erosion. Geomorphology offers a plethora of tools for mapping natural and anthropogenic landforms and evaluating their response to unremitting weathering, erosional and depositional processes. Here, we present a geomorphological investigation on two anthropogenic mounds in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with a special focus on the ongoing erosional processes mining their slope stability and threatening the preservation of the local archaeological landscape. Applying the revised universal soil loss equation model for soil loess derived from UAV imagery and implemented with geoarchaeological investigation, we assess the erosion rate along anthropogenic mounds and estimate the risk of losing archaeological deposits. We argue that a large-scale application of our approach in arid and semi-arid regions may improve our ability to (i) estimate the rate of soil and/or archaeological sediments loss, (ii) propose mitigation strategies to prevent the dismantling of the archaeological record, and (iii) schedule archaeological operations in areas of moderate to extreme erosion risk.
Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Volume 2, 2018
Studia Eblaitica 7, 2021
If interested, please contact the author personally
in: Mesopotamia 54 (2019), pp. 1-104
Proceedings of the 5th “Broadening Horizons” Volume 3 Interactions and New Directions in Near Eastern Archaeology Edited by Costanza Coppini Francesca SimiConference (Udine 5-8 June 2017); , 2020
The transitional phase between the Middle and the Late Bronze Age in Northern Mesopotamia is diff... more The transitional phase between the Middle and the Late Bronze Age in Northern Mesopotamia is difficult to define, both from a historical and an archaeological perspective. This paper seeks to address the main issues in the identification of diagnostic ceramic features for this phase, by comparing the evidence from the Erbil plain with the data gathered from surveys and excavations in the Middle and Upper Tigris region (i.e. Yorgan Tepe, Tell Rimah, Tell Billa) and in the Syrian Jazirah (i.e. Tell Brak, Tell Bderi and Tell Barri). Through the analysis of the ceramic assemblages coming from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and their comparison with materials belonging to better known stratified sequences, I will focus on the diagnostic features characterizing the pottery repertoire during the Middle Bronze Age - Late Bronze Age transition.
[if interested, please find the entire volume at the following link: https://www.openstarts.units.it/handle/10077/30196 ]
D. Nadali and A. Polcaro (eds), The Italian Archaeological Excavations at Tell Zurghul, Ancient Nigin, Iraq. Final Report of the Seasons 2015-2017. Quanderni di Vicino Oriente XVI, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, 163-181, 2020
The survey carried out in 2015 and 2016 in the western part of the site (Area C) revealed the pre... more The survey carried out in 2015 and 2016 in the western part of the site (Area C) revealed the presence of materials attributed to the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. Comparisons allow us to date this assemblage to a chronological range between 1800 and 1600 BC, showing that at least this part of the site was occupied during the Isin-Larsa and Old Babylonian periods. The types of structures identified on the surface and related to 2nd millennium BC pottery - mainly represented by pottery drains, small fragment of walls, and traces of kilns - suggest that this area was possibly used for craft activities, particularly concentrated on the small Mound C and in the central part of Area C.
Pearls of the Past Edited by Marta D’Andrea, Maria Gabriella Micale, Davide Nadali, Sara Pizzimenti and Agnese Vacca, 2019
These Proceedings are the results of the workshop Cultural & Material Contacts in the Ancient Nea... more These Proceedings are the results of the workshop Cultural & Material Contacts in the Ancient Near East, held at Torino the 1 st and 2 nd December 2014. The workshop, organised by Phd and Master Students of the University of Torino, was devoted to young scholars involved in the trending topic of the material and cultural contacts in the Ancient Near East between the 2 nd millennium BC and the Parthian and Sasanian Periods. Scholars from many countries (Italy, France, England, Poland, Canada, Hungary, etc.) chose to participate to the call for papers, proposed by the Organizing Committee. The high number of participants has obliged us to select the papers and to open a larger poster session. During the two workshop days the high level of the talks was judged very promising by the participating professors, auditors and contributors and pushed us to publish it rapidly. Now this purpose has been achieved in only one year and a half after the workshop. We are proud of it also because we know that young scholars need publications to grow and to improve their carrier. We know also that usually the first papers trace a deep line in the research and in the history of each scholar. For this reason, we are glad for have given to them the chance of reaching this purpose and we are pleased that their name will be associated to this workshop. The papers, divided here in their respective sessions, show innovative approaches about archaeo logy, history and philology of the Ancient Near East in an integrated methodology, showing the complexity of the cultural and material contacts of this period and area.
Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, 2018
Talks by Valentina Oselini
ASOR Virtual Annual Meeting 2020, Archaeology of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 2020
The Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Erbil Plain (MAIPE) of the University of Milan and t... more The Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Erbil Plain (MAIPE) of the University of Milan and the Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey (EPAS) of Harvard University carried out a surface collection on the site of Aliawa, circa 25 kms South-West of Erbil, in 2015, 2016 and 2019. Data collection allowed us to define the extension of the settlement through the millennia, as well as its historical phases of occupation. Aliawa was indeed inhabited with a prehistoric occupation during the Late Ubaid and was continuously settled from the Early Bronze Age to the Islamic period. Substantial occupation in the Middle to Late Bronze Age and in the Seleucid-Parthian periods. Excavations tests carried out on the south-eastern slope of the mound by the MAIPE team in late 2019 brought to light six occupational phases, dating from the Early Bronze Age to the Iron Age, and revealed that the site was intentionally fortified at the end of the 3rd mill. BC.
The present paper aims to discuss the development of Aliawa through time, also considering its geographical and geological context, the transformation of the settlement and the alteration of the surrounding landscape. Finally, the analysis focuses on the relationship between the evolution of the settlement and the change caused by the historical and political events that occurred in the Erbil Plain from the 3rd mill. BC to the 3rd c. AD.
At the middle of the 2 nd millennium BC, the central and the northern Mesopotamian areas can be i... more At the middle of the 2 nd millennium BC, the central and the northern Mesopotamian areas can be identified as two different wide ceramic regions. On one side, to the north, the ceramic tradition reflects the wide expansion of painted pottery, such as the Khabur Ware, both in the Middle Bronze Age and at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age and the Nuzi Ware in the LBA. On the other side, at the east of the Tigris and, more precisely, in the area between the Diyala and the Lower Zab, we can talk about a properly Mesopotamian cultural tradition as explained by Armstrong and Gasche in 2014, which is deeply characterized by the presence of plain pottery. The purpose of this investigation is the understanding of what kind of extension the ceramic regions had, and where we can identify their borders. Moreover, the aim of this contribution is to highlight points of contact between the two areas through the analysis of common pottery types and by observing where vessels, which normally belong to foreign cultural traditions, appear in local contexts.
The Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Erbil Plain (MAIPE) of the University IULM of Milan ... more The Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Erbil Plain (MAIPE) of the University IULM of Milan carried out since 2013 an intensive survey and soundings at Helawa, a site of c. 10 ha located in the southwestern part of the plain. Materials dating to the LBA have been collected on the site, and stratified deposits, associated with mud-brick structures, have been excavated in Area D. The aim of this paper is to present the new data from Helawa within a regional framework of analysis, comparing these data with those from survey and excavations in the Erbil plain. According with the first results of the Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey the plain was occupied by few sparse sites during the MBA, and the settlements number increased during the LBA. Respectively, two main sites were much more relevant in size than the others: Kurd Qaburstan and Qasr Shemamok. However, the transitional phase between the MBA and the LBA periods seems still difficult to define. However, the transitional phase between the MBA and the LBA periods seems still difficult to define. This paper seeks to define the Early LBA in Northern Mesopotamia, by comparing the evidence from the Erbil plain with that gathered from surveys and excavations in the Middle Tigris region (i.e. Yorgan Tepe and Assur) and Syrian and Iraqi Jazirah (Hamoukar area, Northern Jazirah area, Tell Rimah, Tell Brak, Tell Sabi Abyad, Tell Bderi and Tell Barri).
The region of the Middle Diyala River can, during the 2 nd millennium BC, be considered a crossro... more The region of the Middle Diyala River can, during the 2 nd millennium BC, be considered a crossroads for three different cultural areas: Southern Mesopotamia, Northern Mesopotamia and Iran. During the Middle Bronze Age, it has been considered an area influenced by both the Kingdom of Eshnunna and the Kingdom of Babylon, whilst during the Late Bronze Age it is seen as a province of the Kassite Kingdom. Stratigraphic analysis, pottery sequence, technological analysis, as well as the identification of both local products and foreign traits, all hold potential for defining these cultural markers. In the specific case of the Middle Diyala, it is necessary to define the local features of the pottery assemblage. Tell Yelkhi, in the Hamrin valley, will be presented as a case-study, as it has a continuous archaeological sequence covering the entire 2 nd millennium. The pottery from Tell Yelkhi, mainly including plain wares, will be classified into a new morphological typology, whilst the characteristics of clay will be observed both macroscopically and by archaeometric analyses. Moreover, the pottery inventory will be compared with the assemblages from other sites along the course of the Diyala River. The aim of this paper is to recognise the macro-regional features that are fundamental to understanding Tell Yelkhi within a wider political system, as well as to isolate the local tradition suggestive of what we might label a " Middle Diyala Pottery Region " .
This paper analyzes the relationship between the lower Diyala region and the Hamrin basin (Iraq),... more This paper analyzes the relationship between the lower Diyala region and the Hamrin basin (Iraq), since
these two areas particularly provide a good dataset from archaeological surveys and excavations. More precisely,
archaeological data reveal a sort of hierarchical settlement patterns with a major site exerting control
over minor sites and the surrounding landscape: towns, “urban villages”, small and very small agricultural villages.
According to contemporary textual evidence, the city of Tell Asmar/Eshnunnacould be considered as a “capital city”
in the lower Diyala region at the beginning of 2nd millennium B.C. The Hamrin basin is geographically close
enough to lower Diyala and maintains political relationships with it (as written sources also attest).
A reappraisal of the spatial relationship between localized economic infrastructures and regional policies is
proposed here, observing the geographical distribution of sites through the results of archaeological surveys.
Spatial results are compared with the examination of material culture (pottery) and textual data. By
reviewing concepts of centralisation and control, the goal of the paper is a reconsideration of the available
datasets, aiming at understanding the landscape organization and the socio-political system behind
it.
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Papers by Valentina Oselini
[if interested, please find the entire volume at the following link: https://www.openstarts.units.it/handle/10077/30196 ]
Talks by Valentina Oselini
The present paper aims to discuss the development of Aliawa through time, also considering its geographical and geological context, the transformation of the settlement and the alteration of the surrounding landscape. Finally, the analysis focuses on the relationship between the evolution of the settlement and the change caused by the historical and political events that occurred in the Erbil Plain from the 3rd mill. BC to the 3rd c. AD.
these two areas particularly provide a good dataset from archaeological surveys and excavations. More precisely,
archaeological data reveal a sort of hierarchical settlement patterns with a major site exerting control
over minor sites and the surrounding landscape: towns, “urban villages”, small and very small agricultural villages.
According to contemporary textual evidence, the city of Tell Asmar/Eshnunnacould be considered as a “capital city”
in the lower Diyala region at the beginning of 2nd millennium B.C. The Hamrin basin is geographically close
enough to lower Diyala and maintains political relationships with it (as written sources also attest).
A reappraisal of the spatial relationship between localized economic infrastructures and regional policies is
proposed here, observing the geographical distribution of sites through the results of archaeological surveys.
Spatial results are compared with the examination of material culture (pottery) and textual data. By
reviewing concepts of centralisation and control, the goal of the paper is a reconsideration of the available
datasets, aiming at understanding the landscape organization and the socio-political system behind
it.
[if interested, please find the entire volume at the following link: https://www.openstarts.units.it/handle/10077/30196 ]
The present paper aims to discuss the development of Aliawa through time, also considering its geographical and geological context, the transformation of the settlement and the alteration of the surrounding landscape. Finally, the analysis focuses on the relationship between the evolution of the settlement and the change caused by the historical and political events that occurred in the Erbil Plain from the 3rd mill. BC to the 3rd c. AD.
these two areas particularly provide a good dataset from archaeological surveys and excavations. More precisely,
archaeological data reveal a sort of hierarchical settlement patterns with a major site exerting control
over minor sites and the surrounding landscape: towns, “urban villages”, small and very small agricultural villages.
According to contemporary textual evidence, the city of Tell Asmar/Eshnunnacould be considered as a “capital city”
in the lower Diyala region at the beginning of 2nd millennium B.C. The Hamrin basin is geographically close
enough to lower Diyala and maintains political relationships with it (as written sources also attest).
A reappraisal of the spatial relationship between localized economic infrastructures and regional policies is
proposed here, observing the geographical distribution of sites through the results of archaeological surveys.
Spatial results are compared with the examination of material culture (pottery) and textual data. By
reviewing concepts of centralisation and control, the goal of the paper is a reconsideration of the available
datasets, aiming at understanding the landscape organization and the socio-political system behind
it.
Mesopotamian political setting in the second half of the 2nd millennium B.C. The Hamrin Basin is a
natural point of contact between northern and southern Mesopotamia, but it is also geographically
close to Elam.
The Italian Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino per il Medio Oriente e l’Asia
excavated in the Yelkhi area, which had a preeminent political role in Jebel Hamrin region. Levels
II and I of Tell Yelkhi are dated to the Kassite period and are characterized by the presence of an
administrative building and some burials. Archaeological records from these strata indicate a
combination of different cultural influences and local traditions. In particular, the production of fine
pottery such as carinated bowls and goblets, found in the rooms of the Kassite building, could be
compared with some production in Mittani area (Nuzi and Tell Bderi) or Elam (Susa and Haft
Tepe).
The present study focuses on the prevalent presence of fine pottery in the Kassite
building trying to identify the origins and understand the
the second half of the 3rd millennium B.C., and thanks to the extended archaeological
excavations a detailed analysis of its stratigraphy is now possible. This allows
reconstructing the political phenomena, which characterized the last part of the
millennium. The main purpose of this study is to recognize archaeological features that
identify cultural changes connected to historical events by a crossing analysis of
architecture, pottery, glyptic and artefacts. The so called Arch House, located in the
"Private House Area", could represent a case study, since it occurs, in some forms, in all
the strata of the sequence. Looking at the lengthen of the building and the increase in the
luxury tools, it is clear that the inhabitants gradually changed their social role and
political power between Early Dynastic III and Ur III period. Anyway the archaeological
record reveals a sort of continuity with the older traditions, shown by the pottery
repertoire and the presence of the same central unit within the building throughout the
period. A re-organization of the settlement occurred only at the end of the Ur III period,
when new political entities upset the social structure and the role of the town in the
region.
Moving from these insights, a new Lebanese-Italian collaboration was established in 2019 in order to carry out a first systematic survey of the regions of Shawakeer and Ras el- Ain. Through a combination of remote sensing and pedestrian survey, we were able to systematically document monuments and sites in these areas and to outline a preliminary timeline for human occupation of this important ‘cultural landscape’. This report presents the 2019 research activities, objectives, methodology, and results achieved.
Broadening Horizons (BH) is a series of international conferences organized by and dedicated to graduate, postgraduate students, and early-career researchers dealing with the broad field of the human past in Western Asia and Egypt, including pre-Classical and Classical periods.
The seventh edition - Broadening Horizons 7 (BH7) - has as its overall theme "Changes, Challenges and New Frontiers" and will be hosted at Sapienza University of Rome, February 10-14, 2025. The 5-day conference will take place in a hybrid format, both in-person and online.
The conference is structured in five parallel thematic sessions, which promote the scientific exchange between scholars from different fields, including archaeological, anthropological, historical, philological, and cultural heritage studies, as well as related interdisciplinary fields.