Chatal Höyük (Amuq)

It is located in the valley of the Orontes River, and it was inhabited from the late 4th millennium BCE, and until about 500 BC.

In the Iron Age it was a part of the state of Unqi, based at the nearby site of Tell Tayinat.

[1] The large acropolis of Chatal Höyük is located on the left bank of the Afrin river, and it was extensively investigated by archaeologists, while the nearby lower town still remained to be excavated.

[2] Archaeologists Calvin W. McEwan and Robert J. Braidwood started their research in the Amuq valley in 1932 with the excavations at Chatal Höyuk and Tell al Judeidah.

Originally, because of its large size, it was believed that Chatal Höyuk was the location of the ancient city of Kinalua (Khunalua), that was known from the textual sources in the Assyrian Annals.