Archaeological Excavation Tall Halaf Tell Halaf, the ancient Aramaean and Assyrian town of Guzana, lies in the northern part of ancient Mesopotamia and in the north-eastern province of modern Syria. The site, which is situated close to the sources of the Khabur River, a tributary of the Euphrates, was occupied during the Pottery Neolithic and the Chalcolithic Periods as well as during the Iron Age. Its name was given to a whole prehistoric period. Tell Halaf was excavated in 1911-13 and 1929 by Max Freiherr von Oppenheim. The most famous artefacts discovered by these expeditions were sculptures dating back to the Aramaean period, which were formerly presented in the Tell Halaf-Museum in Berlin. In 2006, new excavations by a joint mission started under the participation of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in Damascus, the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin, the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen and the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg. Find detailed informationen on this project soon on Tell Halaf Excavation My colleague Dr. Lutz Martin from the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin also coordinates the "Tell Halaf Restoration Project", which aims at restoring the famous stone sculptures and reliefs excavated by Max Freiherr von Oppenheim. These artefacts were in a very bad state due to their changeful history. For further information on this partner project visit Tell Halaf Restoration Project

Sirkeli Höyük Sirkeli Höyük lies almost 40km East of the modern city of Adana in the Eastern part of ancient Flat Cilicia, immediately at the Ceyhan River. The site, which is probably identical with ancient Lawazantiya / Lusanda, controls a narrow passage through the Misis Mountains, through which the main route connecting Northern Syria, Cilicia and Central Anatolia is running. The site was inhabited during the Chalcolithic period, the whole Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Hellenistic period. It was investigated between 1992 and 1996 by the Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich under the directorate of Barthel Hrouda and 1997 by the University of Innsbruck under the directorate of Horst Ehringhaus. After the licence was transferred to me in 2006 the project is organised as a cooperation of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen and the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi. For further information visit: Sirkeli Höyük

Field research I participated in archaeological excavations almost every year from 1986 on. In 1997 und 1998 I was associate director of the archaeological excavations at Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu From 1999 to 2004 I was in position as the local Director of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna. Since 2006 Dr. Lutz Martin from the Vorderaiatisches Museum (Berlin) and myself conduct the archaeological excavations at Tall Halaf and additionally I coordinate the excavations in Sirkeli Höyük.

2006 Two weeks of excavation in Sirkeli Höyük, Turkey. Director: myself   Two months of excavation in Tall Halaf / Guzana, Syria. Director: Dr. Lutz Martin (Berlin) and myself 2004 Two months of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna (Old syrian kingdom), Syria. Director: Prof. Dr. P. Pfälzner (Tübingen) 2003 Two and a half months of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna, Syria.   2002 Five months of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna, Syria.   2001 Two months of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna, Syria.   2000 Two months of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna, Syria.   1999 Three weeks of excavation in Tall Mishrife / Qatna, Syria   1998 Three months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu (assyrian and babylonian city, roman-parthian graveyard), Syria Director: Prof. Dr. H. Kühne (Berlin) 1997 Three months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu, Syria   1995 Three months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu, Syria   1994 Three months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu, Syria   1993 Three months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu, Syria   1992 Three months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hamad / Dur-Katlimmu, Syria   1991 Six weeks of excavation and research in Tall Chuera (early bronze age place of the so called "Kranzhügelkultur"), Syria Director: Prof. Dr. W. Orthmann (Saarbrücken) 1990 Two and a half months of excavation in Tall Chuera, Syria   1989 Two months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hassan (early sumerian place, later assyrian garrison, hellenistic and roman residency), Syria. Director: Dr. J. Boese (Saarbrücken) 1988 Two months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hassan, Syria.   1987 Two months of excavation in Tall Sheikh Hassan, Syria.   1986 Three weeks of educational excavation of the University of the Saarland at Birg in the Saarland (early medieval castle of refudge). Director: Prof. Dr. R. Hachmann, Dr. R. Echt (Saarbrücken)   Sechs weeks of excavation in Bliesbruck (roman settlement) in the Dep. Lorraine, France Director: J. Schaub, J.-P. Petit (Sarreguemines)   Sechs weeks of excavation in Altforweiler (roman cremation burial graveyard) in the Saarland Director: B. Ames, W. Adler (Saarbrücken)   One week surveying in Altheim (Saarland)