Managing Survey Data from Helawa, Erbil Plain (Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

The project of the Italian Archaeological Expedition in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (MAIPE) of the University of Milan focuses on a small part of the Erbil plain, namely the area of Helawa/Aliawa, 27 km south-west of Erbil. In 2013 and 2015, a topographic survey with differential GPS was carried out at Helawa. The ensuing GIS-based spatial analysis of diagnostic materials made it possible to reconstruct the site’s main occupational phases and estimating its extension at different times in its history. In this paper, we will focus on additional aspects that emerged from our spatial analysis. The distribution of selected categories of finds (e.g., furnace wasters, lithic artefacts) throughout the site points to possible functional distinctions. Furthermore, our analysis of morphological data bears witness to processes of multilayer deposition and erosion, which contributed to shaping the site’s mound morphology through time.