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2016 Field Season

Bastora DamLarge dam of likely Neo-Assyrian date on the Bastora Chai, north of Erbil

 

In the third season of the Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey (EPAS), our goals were:

  1. Continue the intensive investigation in the region between areas investigated in 2012 and 2013, a large area of Shamamok nahiya;

  2. Develop a field protocol for using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone to record archaeological sites and features

EPAS successfully completed these two goals in our 2016 field season, which included 28 field days between 24 August and 30 September 2016.  Read the Kurdish language end-of-season report.

لێرە ڕاپۆرتی وەرزی 2016 بخوێنەوە بە کوردی

Qatawi DEM

The survey recovered:

  • 113 archaeological sites covering 614 hectares (for a total of 328 sites recovered since 2012);

  • 387 artifact lots, including:

    • 362 lots of pottery, totaling 12,998 sherds (583.1 kilograms)

    • 9 lots of lithics, totaling 79 lithics (2.9 kilograms)

    • 12 objects and 3 pieces of glass

  • Drone flights over 38 archaeological sites and features, covering 2,194 hectares, 26,314 aerial photographs, and over 150 GB of files.

  • Several important landscape features, including:

    • A major karez north of Hazza (recorded by drone);

    • A baked brick aqueduct near Sweri;

    • A stone dam or bridge at the entrance to the Sennacherib subterranean canal near Qala Mortka on the Chai Bastora.

UAV (Drone) Mapping and Photogrammetry

For most sites, drone photography was incorporated. For larger and more topographically complex sites, the DJI Phantom 4 drone was flown over the site in parallel transects, to record multiple overlapping photographs.  These photographs were used in the Agisoft Photoscan program to create digital elevation models (DEMs) of resolution around 15 cm, and to make orthophoto mosaics of 4-5 cm resolution. For other sites, the DJI Phantom 4 was used to capture vertical and oblique images of the site.

 

Team Members of EPAS 2016

  • Prof. Jason Ur, Harvard University, USA (Project Director)

  • Dr. Jessica Giraud, IFPO Erbil (Associate Director)

  • Dr. Karel Novacek, Palacky University Olomouc (Specialist in Islamic Archaeology)

  • Dr. Bjoern Menze, Technische Universität München (Computer Science and drone pilot)

  • Dr. Abdulameer al-Hamdani al-Dhafar, SBAH Nasiriya (Archaeologist)

  • Dr. Stefan Smith, University of Durham (Archaeologist)

  • Mr. Nader Babakir, Directorate of Antiquities, Erbil (Director of Antiquities and Archaeologist)

  • Mr. Khalil Barzanji, Directorate of Antiquities, Erbil (Archaeologist and drone pilot)

  • Mr. Pshtiwan Ahmed, Directorate of Antiquties, Erbil (Archaeologist)

  • Mr. Aram Amin, Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage (IICAH), Erbil (Archaeologist)

  • Mr. Mohammed Lashkri, General Directorate of Antiquities, KRG (Archaeologist)

  • Mr. Bapir Rashid Bawel (Interpreter and Driver)