Halaf culture

   The name given by modern scholars to the early inhabitants of the town of Gu-zana, in northeastern Syria, and other towns in nearby northern Mesopotamia. Halaf culture is dated variously from circa 6000 to 5000 b.c. to circa 5500 to 4500 b.c. Accordingly, the era is referred to as the Halaf period, and the distinctive pottery made by its artisans is often called Halaf-ware. These early ceramics, which seem to have originated in Guzana, featured geometric shapes and patterns handsomely painted in black, red, and white. They were made from a local type of clay that was distinct from other Mesopotamian clays. Examples of Halaf-ware have been found at nearby Carchemish and Tepe Gawra and in ancient ruins stretching across northern Mesopotamia and southern Iran, suggesting that fairly extensive trade routes had been established in the region by this period. Other distinctive aspects of Halaf culture were stamp seals and amulets bearing the same geometric designs as those on the pottery; pottery figurines of women, probably goddesses; and clusters of small, round, domed structures (dubbed tholoi by scholars) made from boulders, mud bricks, and straw. Some of the latter may have been houses, but others were likely places for religious worship. The people of the Halaf culture practiced "dry" farming, which depended on rainfall rather than irrigation, and raised cattle, sheep, and goats.

   See also: pottery; Tepe Gawra; Ubaidian culture