The Ubaid Period at Tell Zurghul Preliminary Results from the Area B Excavations and their Significance in a Regional Perspective

Recent excavations carried out by the Sapienza Università di Roma and the Università degli Studi di Perugia at Tell Zurghul, in the Lagash region (Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq), have revealed a long occupational sequence, with earlier levels dating back to the Ubaid period. This article presents the results from the excavations carried out in 2015 in Area B, a low mound located at the southern edge of Tell Zurghul, rising about 4m above the surrounding plain. Preliminary results showed a multi-layer occupation, uncovered at the top of Mound B, dating to Ubaid 4, while stray shards dating to Ubaid 2/3 from previous excavations, undertaken by R. Koldewey in 1887, suggest an even earlier occupation that remains to be clarified by future research. Data from Area B are all the more relevant because they help to better define this period in the region of Lagash, barely touched by previous research which instead focused on the areas of Ur, Eridu, ‘Oueili, and Uruk, all in the south-west plain.