9.6 Samarra

A second pottery culture that started a little later than the Hassuna, but partly contemporaneous was the Samarran Culture, from before 6,000 to about 5,000 BC, located further south than Hassuna, centred near Baghdad. The Samarrans originally migrated from present Iran. The climate in this area was too dry for serious agriculture without irrigation, but the Samarrans had developed this technology, which gave them a great advantage in such semi-arid regions. Their settlements were sited where irrigation channels and canals could be most effective. The earliest known canal was built before 5,000 BC in Choga Mami, part of the Samarran Culture to the east. They were therefore able to grow crops such as linseed (flax) producing the fibre enabling them to make linen cloth. The city of Samarra itself covered about 15 acres with around 1,000 inhabitants. Defensive walls and towers were built suggesting the fear of attack that was not apparent at Catal Huyuk. This probably indicates a social structure with a leader who was able to organize such communal defensive projects.

Samarra bowls 6,000 and 5,000 BC - source
Emily Carr University of Art and Design

The Samarrans were likely to have developed relatively independently as some of their pottery was different, having a distinctive shape and having a more elaborate painted decoration. It was generally hand made but some was made on an early form of slow potter’s wheel, probably by specialists.  Dark brown and pale orange bodied pottery with cream or pinkish slip had boldly painted bands and chevrons and dynamic decoration including stylised human figures, dancing girls with flowing hair, birds, goats, deer, scorpions and geometric designs.

Samarra goddess figurine 5,000 BC
- source National Museum of Iraq,
Baghdad

A dish with central petal motif was common. An example is a 10” diameter bowl dating to 5,500 BC made of pale orange pottery and decorated with red painted stylised ibexes. Another of a similar date from Choga Mami, together with a model of a head, had black painted decoration. They also used stamp seals. Some of the pottery had makers or commissioners marks, indicating a form of mass production using common kilns or perhaps common transport or storage needing such identification. Other settlements of the Samarran Culture also had many fired clay balls, probably sling missiles again. Burials were accompanied with ritual female figurines, quite sophisticated having elaborate hair, together with ceramic pots and jewellery. Many burials were youngsters implying high infant mortality.

9.7 Halaf

Before 5,500 BC a new type of pottery appeared, and rapidly became popular. It was associated with the Halaf Culture, based at Tell Halaf, north west of Hassuna in North East Syria near the Turkish border. They were probably a different tribe (maybe Indo-European), as they had a different style of sun-dried brick buildings. They were circular with a domed roof, and the largest were 10m in diameter. They also brought new burial customs including cremation and the burial of the ashes in pots under their floors.

Halaf painted bowl 5,000 BC - source
National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad

Their potters were able to control firing in their kilns more closely and to produce very high quality polychrome pottery, such as deep bowls, having an amazingly high artistic standard with more complex shapes. It was fired so well many examples remain today. They produced a variety of ceramics with coloured slip backgrounds, such as cream, grey and orange/red, with geometric decoration in red, white and black paint.