The phase B2 occupation marks a smooth transition from the earlier phase B1deposits. The local Anatolian Late Chalcolithic material culture tradition continues, but alongside it we see the sudden appearance of the full range of Uruk material culture from southern Mesopotamia as a distinct component in the assemblage. In many cases, ceramics from the two traditions are found together in the same deposits. But there are also some clear differences between the north and south parts of the phase B2 settlement in the distribution of Uruk and Local Late Chalcolithic material. In the south area - local Late Chalcolithic ceramic, architectural and glyptic traditions are more common. However, in contemporaneous deposits, the north part of the site has also yielded much higher concentrations of Uruk Mesopotamian artifacts: the evidence suggests that a Mesopotamian trading colony was present at the site.
Mesopotamian artifacts represent the full range of Uruk material culture used in both public and domestic contexts. Although most of the material derives from trash deposits, in a few exceptional deposits, we have even been able to recover in situ Uruk deposits, such as a domestic assemblage found on the floor in the corner of a kitchen area, and another small room with ceramics on the floor.
Op. 12 house with in-situ Uruk ceramics on the floor. Op. 1 Uruk trash deposit. Note the large numbers of intact bevel rim bowls.
We have large amounts of typical wheel made mineral tempered Uruk ceramics in the full range of typical Mesopotamian forms, functional categories, and decorative techniques. Serving vessels such as conical cups and the ubiquitous bevel rim bowl, which forms 50% or more of those deposits that contain only Uruk material. Phase B2 has also yielded a wide range of standard Uruk storage jars, spouted jars and domestic pottery such as strap-handled cooking pots with comb incised bands and chaff tempered Uruk trays. In addition, ceramic ladles, droop spouts, and a small number of jars with nose lugs and incised decoration occur in these phase B2 deposits. The pottery is decorated with the full repertoire of Uruk techniques.In short - the Uruk assemblage at Hacinebi represents a full range of forms and functions such as food preparation, food serving, storage, and transportation.
Uruk storage jar with nose lugs and incised triangles Assemblage of material from in-situ Uruk kitchen assemblage - Op. 14 locus 20. In addition, Hacinebi phase B2 has Mesopotamian style architectural decorations such as the typical baked clay wall cones, used in Uruk temples and other public buildings in both southern Mesopotamia and in Uruk colonies such as Jebel Aruda and Hassek. Hacinebi also provides evidence for the use of the Mesopotamian system of metrology or measurements- such as cruciform grooved stone weights. These weights (sometimes also interpreted as maceheads), are known from sites such as Susa Acropole I:18 (Henry Wright, personal communication) in the Uruk heartland of southern Mesopotamia, and from well documented Uruk colonies in Syria such as Habuba Kabira and Sheikh Hassan. Mesopotamian style ornaments are also present at Hacõnebi; a conical headed copper pin found in phase B2 Uruk deposits has an exact parallels in the Uruk colony at Tell Sheikh Hassan and at southern sites such as Tello and Susa, where these pins are found in abundance. The Uruk deposits have even yielded ceramic sickles - a uniquely Mesopotamian tool developed in an environment where flint was a rare imported commodity. Baked clay sickles are very common in south Mesopotamian Uruk sites, but almost never found in Anatolia, where flint is extremely common.
It is significant that Hacinebi has also yielded a wide range of Mesopotamian style administrative record keeping technology - such as a cylinder seal-impressed hollow clay ball with tokens, a tablet, "mushroom shaped" jar stoppers, and regular unbaked clay container sealings.Phase B2 ends with the apparently peaceful abandonment of the site at some point early in the Late Uruk period - ca. 3300 BC.
