THE IRON AGE SEQUENCE IN THE AMUQ

This article provides an overview Iron Age levels at the site of Chatal Höyük in the Amuq (Hatay region in Turkey) brought to light during the 30s by the American team of the Oriental Institute at Chicago. The dataset is based on the reanalysis of the documentation and all materials from the site kept at the Oriental Institute Museum in Chicago and on the observations carried out on the Late Bronze and Iron Age assemblages at Alalaḫ. Main aim of this contribution s to focus on the pottery assemblages, which are crucial in better understanding the archaeological sequence during the Iron Age, in particular at a site where there is a continuity from LBI to IA III. Ceramic typology and morphological changes over time provide a reliable sequence for the Iron Age on a regional basis, which may build a reference point for neighbouring sites. This contribution focuses mainly on the chronological elements which may help in setting the relative regional sequence in a broader historical setting and investigated those aspects of the material culture, useful to reconstruct the social, economic and political landscape of the Iron Age in the Hatay region. It starts with a brief introduction on the local regional sequence, presents the assemblages in each phase, the main features and differences with previous materials. It then focuses specifically with the painted tradition during the Iron Age in the Amuq and provides a brief overview on the criteria employed to date each phase. The conclusions offer a general overview on the political development of the town of Chatal Höyük in the period between the 13th century to the 6th century BC.