Date of Graduation
5-2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Anthropology (MA)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Anthropology
Advisor/Mentor
Jesse Casana
Committee Member
Kenneth Kvamme
Second Committee Member
Fred Limp
Keywords
Social sciences, Corona, Kranzhugel, Syria, Third millennium, Urbanism
Abstract
First named by von Oppenheim over a century ago, the distinctive third millennium BC kranzhügeln, or "wreath-mound," sites of the Syrian Desert remain a poorly understood phenomenon. While archaeological investigations have been undertaken at a handful of kranzhügel-like sites including Tell Chuera, Tell al-Rawda, and Tell Beydar, the overall number, geographic distribution, and morphological variation of so-called "kranzhügel" sites remains largely unexplored.
1960s-era CORONA satellite imagery available through the CORONA Atlas Project (http://corona.cast.uark.edu/) now enables more systematic documentation of the kranzhügel sites and the production site-scale visual and quantitative analysis. Analysis of kranzhügel distribution and morphology reveals that the sites are much more varied in structure and geographic extent than their traditional definition presumes. Along with these new insights, the compilation of a comprehensive catalog of the kranzhügel and other circular site environmental-geographic distribution and comparative structural analysis lays the groundwork for more sophisticated investigations into what Akkermans and Schwartz (2003:256) term the "kranzhügel problem" - the enigmatic, short-lived third millennium urbanization of the arid Syrian steppe.
Citation
Jakoby, E. (2013). Considering Kranzhügeln: An Exploration into the Structural Variation and Environmental/Spatial Distribution of the Third Millennium "Kranzhügel" Sites. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/788