The Roman Frontier With Persia in North-Eastern Mesopotamia: Fortresses and Roads Around Singara

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents Page
List of Figures and Tables
	Map 1. Setting, showing area of concern
	Map 2. Fortresses and roads
	Figure 1. Copied from Oates, 1968 Fig 8. Also in this publication are plans of the Roman south gate and Bastions 5, 6 and 7
	Figure 2. Singara Corona 11 Dec 1967
	Figure 3. Singara Google Earth 13 March 2021. Rampart of Roman town indicated in red
	Figures 3a and b. Ain Sinu/Zagurae. a) Plan copied from Oates 1968 p83. b) Corona 11 December 1967.36°27'07"N, 42°10'43"E
	Figure 4. Majnuniye. Corona 11 Dec 1967. with Tel Hayal circled in yellow
	Figure 5. Sikeniye. Corona 11 Dec 1967. Abandoned town circled in yellow
	Figure 6. Fort at foot of Bara pass. CAST and Google Earth 5 Sept 2020
	Figure 7. Poidebard’s photograph of ‘Thebeta’. La Trace de Rome dans le désert’, Pl.CLX.3
	Figure 8. Thebeta, according to Poidebard. 36°49’25’’N, 41°41’43’’E. Corona 1967
	Figure 9. Qohbol/Gohbal. Corona 11 Dec 1967. 36°30’52”N, 41°57’24”E
	Figure 10. Al- Han – situation to the east. Corona 5 Nov 1968
	Figure 11. Fort at al-Han. Google Earth 23 November 2020. A modern structure has been super-imposed.
	Figure 12. Fort at al-Han. Corona 5 Nov 1968. 36°17’36”N, 41°04’14”E
	Figure 13. Poidebard’s map of the Khabur bend (Pl CXL, ‘Coude du Habour’ Large rectangles indicate fortified towns; small ones = Roman posts (castellum/castrum).
	Figure 14. Forts North of Al-Hol. CAST accessed 22.01.2022. A is 94x84m, B is about 294x219m, C is 160x160m. A tower is visible in the SW corner of C in the Corona image.below.
	Figure 15 a and b.  The fort north of al-Hol. a) Zoom Earth (accessed 26/01/2022)  36°25’52”N, 41°07’56”E. b) Extract from Poidebard Pl. CLI - Fort to east not visible
	Figure 16. The forts at al-Hol. Corona 5 Nov 1968
	Figure 17. Batitas Corona 11 Dec 1968
	Figure 18. Batitas Google Earth 23 Nov 2020 Extract of mosaic (2 images) for part of the town 36°17’20”N, 41°14’00”E
	Figure 19. Batitas CAST accessed 26 Jan 2022
	Figure 20. Oumtriye/Tell Mashnaqa/Amostae? An extract from Poidebard’s plate CXIV.
	Figure 21. Oumtariye/Tell Mashnaqa/Amostae. Corona 11 Dec 1967 36°17’49”N, 40°46’39”E (approx.)
	Figure 22. Tell Taban. CAST - accessed 26 Jan 2020
	Figure 23. Tell Taban. Google Earth 5 Jan 2019. 36°20’08”N, 40°47’16’=3E
	Figure 24. Tell Tuneynir (Thannouris) Zoom Earth, accessed 28/01/2022. 36°24’N, 40°53’S
	Figure 25. Thannouris. Plan by Kennedy traced from relevant portions of Poidebard, 1934: Pl CXVII. Note north to bottom.
	Figure 26. Touloul Mougayir from Poidebard’s Pl CL
	Figure 27. Touloul Mougayir a) Google Earth 20/08/2020 and b) Corona 5 Nov 1968  36°24’30”N, 41°01’27”E.
	Figure 28.  Hirbet Hassan Aga. Corona 5 No=v 1968 Camp (above – 36°22’48N, 40°59’51”E) and small fort (bottom left circled on yellow).
	Figure 29. a) Enlargement from Figure 28 above showing the camp (Corona 1968) and b) Situation of fort guarding spring - CAST accessed 27/012022
	Figure 30. Hirbet Hassan Aga. Extract from Poidebard’s Pl CXLIII.
	Figure 31. Extract from Poidebard’s Plate CXLVII, oriented to the north and showing the course of the wall on the Jebel Cembe. The dashed yellow line is placed just to the south of the wall. The structure called by Poidebard  ‘ouvrage de défense indigène’
	Figure 32. Circesium. Figure  78 from Sarre and Herzfeld Vol 1, p172
	Figure 33. Circesium. Figure  79 from Sarre and Herzfeld Vol 1, p 173
	Figure 34.  Osrhoene (NW Mesopotamia) from Dillemann (1962: fig. XI) with additions showing sites along the Khabur river (‘Aborras’)
	Figure 35. Tell Araban a) Corona 5 Nov 1968 b) Google Earth 27 Feb 2021
	Figure 36. Tell Ajaja. Herzfeld 1911 Vol1: 185
	Figure 37. Tell Arban Poidebard Pl.CXIII. 36°05’26”N, 40°42’15”E
	Figure 38. Marqada. Corona 5 Nov 1968. 35°44’38‘’ N, 40°46’00’’E
	Figure 39. Bridge at Soufeiyé  Poidebard Pl. CXIX.3
	Figure 40. Tell Bizari. a) Corona 5 Nov 1968. b) Google Earth 24 Oct 2020  36°36’02”N, 40°47’09”E
	Figure 41. Poidebard’s post at Tell Zenbil (north bank). a) Pls. CXXI and b) CAST accessed 05/02/2022  36°38’18”N, 40°58’53”E
	Figure 42. The post Tell el-Bab (south bank) Poidebard Pl.CXX
	Figure 43. Reproduction of Dillemann 1962 Fig XXVI
	Figure 44. Tell Awan Poidebard Pl. I.1
	Figure 45. Tell Awan Triple enceinte. Poidebard Pl. III
	Figure 46. Tell Awan Corona 5 Nov 1968. 36°42’46”N, 41°04’59”E
	Figure 47.  Tell Awan. Extract from previous figure
	Figure 49a. Castellum of Tell Brak – west side and plan. Poidebard  Plate CXXV
	Figure 49b. Castellum of Tell Brak – east. Poidebard  Plate CXXVI
	Figure 50. Tell Brak Poidebard Plate CXXIII.
	Figure 51. Tell Brak showing Poidebard’s castellum upper right. Corona 5 November 1968
	Figure 52. Tell Brak – castellum seen from above Poidebard Pl CXXIX
	Figure 53. Brak: Photo of gate. Poidebard Pl. CXXVII.2
	Figure 54. Tell Bati. Poidebard’s photograph (Pl. CXXXIX) re-oriented to show North at top and ‘fort’ circled in yellow.
	Figure 55. Abra  Extract from Poidebard’s Plate CLIX
	Figure 56. Abra  Corona 2 Aug 1969. 37°01’40”N, 41°47’15”E. Poidebard’s ‘castellum’ circled in yellow.
	Figure 57. Qubur al-Bid. Copied from Wood (2004: 400). 37°24’07”N, 42°04’00”E.
	Figure 58. Seh Qubba. Corona 11 Dec 1967  36°51’32”N, 42°29’30”E
	Figure 59. Seh Qubba Ball 2003. 64
	Figure 60. Babil. Extract from Poidebard’s Pl. CLIX
	Figure 61. Babil/Kebeli Corona 11 Dec 1967. 37°11’12”N, 42°01’41”E
	Figure 62. Tell Lelan. Poidebard Pl. CIX.1 ‘
	Figure 63. Tell Lelan. Corona 11 Dec 1967. 36°57’26”N, 41°30’18”E
	Figure 64. Wilkinson and Tucker’s site 54 (1995). The adjacent site 48 is a prominent tell with occupation from the Assyrian to the Parthian periods but not Sasanian.
	Figure 65. Site 54 of Wilkinson and Tucker (near Gar Sur village). Corona 11 Dec 1967 36°43’03”N, 42°25’17”E
	Figure 66. Oates 1 “Syria and Parthia c A.D. 200”
	Figure 67. Oates 2 “Northern Iraq in the Roman period”
	Figure 68. Extract from Poidebard’s map entitled ‘Le Limes romain dans le désert de Syrie : observations aériennes et vérifications au sol (1925-1932) (map drawn at scale 1/1 000 000 by ’la Compagnie Aérienne Française’, Suresnes 1933). Large rectangles i
	Figure 69. a) and b) The probable site of the ‘Roman’ bridge at Kisik   36°28’6”N, 42°40’19”E Corona December 1967 and Zoom Earth January 2014
	Figure 70. Possible route across middle of Mount Sinjar from Karsi. Extract from Google Earth
	Figure 71. The road 14km east of Sinjar. Corona 11 Dec 1967
	Figure 72. The road 28km east of Sinjar. Note crossroad and forts. Corona 11 Dec 1967
	Figure 73. Extract from US army map of 1942 (Tell Afar) showing position of Gonaisiya; 1 inch to 4 miles
	Figure 74. The course of the ancient road 8km west of the current Syria/Iraq frontier. Corona 11 Dec 1967 (see also figure 71 above)
	Figure 75. Extract from Peutinger Table, Segment XI: Singara and Sirgora circles in yellow.
	Figure 76. Haste/Muezzar Corona 1968. 36°15’26”N, 40°19’49”E (Poidebard ‘La Trace’ Pls.CXXXIII-IV)
	Figure 77. Site 11.5 km SW of Tell Muezzar at 36°10’02”N, 40°16’02”E - Manajid Fawqani?
	Figure 78. Site on road from Haste to Tell Ajaja – possibly ‘Tell Touwenan’ of Poidebard   Magrus? Corona 1967 36°11’26”N, 40°27’30”E
	Figure 79. Possibly, Hirbet al-Han with a Roman (?) fort (36°03’36”N, 41°15’19”E) – 40km NE of Semsaniye, near current Syria/Iraq frontier   Zoom Earth © ESRI, HERE, Garmin
	Figure 80. The crossing of the Khabur at Ash Shaddadi (‘Sheddadi’ - Corona 1968) – 36°04’00”N, 40°29’20”E
	Figure 81. Sheddadi Zoom Earth. The mound is 3km south of the crossing.
	Figure 82. Sheddadi. Sarre and Herzfeld (1911: 183)
	Figure 83. The road near ‘Qseybe’ (route 3 - see also fig 11 above) 36°15’58”N, 41°15’3”E. Zoom Earth August 2012
	Figure 84a. Tell al-Hadhail (Vicat according to Hauser). Corona 11 Dec 1967. 36°08'56"N, 42°03'16"E
	Figure 84b. Ibrat as-Sagira (Vicat according to Oates). Corona 11 Dec 1967. 36°22’28”N, 42°19’’53”E Corona 11 December 1967. 36°22’28”N, 42°19’53”E
	Figure 85. Uğur. Corona 11 Dec 1967. 37°10’59”N, 41°57’00”E
	Figure 86. Extract from the Peutinger Table (see also figure 75 above) showing the road from Amouda (Thamaudi) and Nisibis to the Tigris
	Figure 87. The road west of Cizre (Bazeft on the horizon). Poidebard PL CLVIII.3
Introduction
Aerial photography, satellite imagery and maps
Geographical and historical background
Forts and fortresses
	Dating the fortifications
	The city of Singara
	The forts at Ain Sinu
	Alaina
	Thebeta
	Qohbol/Ghobal
	Towards the Khabur
	al-Han
	al-Hol
	Amostae
	Batitas
	Thannouris (Tell Tuneynir)
	Touloul Mougayir and Hirbet Hassan Aga
	The wall of Jebel Cembe
	The Khabur valley
	North of Circesium
	Tell Ajaja/Arban/Horoba
	Tell Brak and the Jaghjagh
	Tell Brak
	Castra Maurorum
	Cizre and Bezabde
	Eski Mosul and the Tigris
The roads
	Roads north of Singara
	Roads east of Singara
	Roads to the west of Singara and to the Khabur valley
	Roads south-east of Singara
	The northern road from Nisibis east to the Tigris
The frontier in north-eastern Mesopotamia
Conclusions
Bibliography
Placename index