Mysteries of Hamoukar, world's oldest city

The first settlement they discovered was dating back to 3209 B.C. and occupied 13 hectares. It gradually increased up to 102 hectares, and afterwards it became one of the largest cities of that time. Taking into consideration the finds, archeologists defined other excavation sites. In the eastern part of the settlement they unearthed a building where pots were made. The main find was a large settlement to the south of the hill. A more thorough investigation showed that the territory was occupied from the beginning of the 4^th century B.C. If all the settlements found by archeologists were considered as one city, its area would reach 250 hectares, which is hard to believe. At the time when the first urbanized settlements appeared, such a big city was a real megalopolis for the Ancient times.

	Mysteries of Hamoukar – oldest city in the world
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Scientists used satellites to find out more. Satellite images gave them a new idea when they discovered a dark meandering line 100 meters away from the hill, at the northern and eastern sides, though on the earth a small slope alone was discernable. It resembled a city wall. Further research showed that the wall could be located nearer to the hill and instead of the slope there was a ditch supplying the city with water.

Three zones were excavated. The first one was a trench, 60 meters long and three meters wide, located along the northern hill slope. Digging in stages enabled archeologists to discern different epochs, for every stage was four-five meters lower than the previous one. The lowest layer showed that the city was 6,000 years old.

The next layer yielded walls of several houses made of clay bricks and also a huge wall (possibly a city wall) four meters high and four meters thick. The ceramic remains found under it dated back to the mid-4^th century B.C. Then goes the layer dating as far back as 3,200 years B.C. This ceramics is associated with peoples from South Iraq, which evidences the interaction between Syrians and Mesopotamians at that time.

These houses are followed by more modern buildings of the 3^rd millennium B.C. There are houses of burnt stones and wells there. Right above one of the houses there is a much later building of the mid-1^st millennium, and a modern cemetery.

Another excavation zone abounded with smithereens. They laid it out in lots five square meters each and dug up the ground carefully. Archeologists discovered houses with well-preserved clay walls. Inside there were ancient things covered with a thick layer of ashes. It made scientists’ work daunting – it is hard to find burnt debris in floor rifts, on uneven surfaces and in pits.

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