Reading Rubbish: modelling diachronic change at Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-10-20

Reconstructing activities at a stratified site invariably includes a discussion of the constant diachronic change in the settlement. A case in point is the Late Bronze Age settlement at Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria. Here, a continuing reappropriation of space during the life span of the settlement presents a challenge for a functional analysis of the buildings and courtyards. Similarly, considering that the function of individual buildings was in constant flux, how can the settlement as a whole be characterized per phase or period? In this paper, using 3D GIS and event-based chronologies for individual rooms, I will discuss a method for the analysis and presentation of the fluctuating use of space. The results aid in the advancement beyond simplistic settlement chronologies of distinct periods, towards an appreciation of overlapping timescales within the life time of a settlement.

(Victor Klinkenberg)