Tell Madhur

A significant Early Dynastic occupation, consisting of a rounded building typical for the Hamrin region at the time, has also been attested at Madhur.

The archaeological deposits extended some 4 m below the current surface of the plain as well, indicating that considerable soil accumulation must have taken place since Madhur was first settled.

The single most important feature of this level was an almost completely preserved house, described by Michael Roaf as "one of the best-preserved prehistoric buildings ever to have been found in Mesopotamia".

The inventory included pottery vessels (both painted, incised and undecorated), grindstones, flint and obsidian blades, spindle whorls, animal figurines and many sling bullets.

[2][5] Based on the exquisite preservation of the artefacts, specific activity areas could be pinpointed within the house; some of the smaller rooms were used for storage and cooking, whereas one end of the central hall was used for eating and probably receiving guests.

The pottery and architecture seem to have set the Hamrin apart from the rest of Mesopotamia during the Early Dynastic period, suggesting that it may represent some sort of "cultural enclave".

[2] The youngest evidence consists of some storage pits indicating occupation during the 13th and 14th centuries AD, and the site was used as a cemetery by local villagers in recent times.