In Syria discovered the ruins of a city whose age, according to scientists, is not less than 6000 years. Perhaps it is the oldest city on the planet. Find virtually changed the traditional understanding of the appearance on Earth of cities and civilization in General. It forces you to consider the spread of civilization in the new world, building on an earlier time. Before this discovery of the city, Dating back to 4000 BC, found only in ancient Sumer - between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, the last, the most ancient, found in the South-Eastern part of Syria under a huge hill near the village Hamoukar. Mysterious city is also called Hamoukar.

Archeologists started to dig the earth here in the 1920s-1930s, Then they assumed that there is Vassyana is the capital of the Empire of Mitanni (approximately XV century BC), which still could not find. But evidence of settling this area then not found "vasukansky theory" was a failure.

Many years passed, and scientists became interested again in this place. And no wonder: after all, it is one of the most important traffic arteries of antiquity - the way of Nineveh in Aleppo, which lasted travelers and merchants ' caravans. This situation, in opinion of scientists, gave a lot of advantages and created excellent conditions for the development of the city.

The excavations at tel-Homecare and found there the image of the idol

The researchers did find signs indicating its existence in the middle of IV Millennium BC, Then in southern Iraq, one after another appeared first in the city, as in Syria was founded their colonies.

This time the archaeologists were determined - in the direct sense - to get to the truth. Was formed special Syrian-American expedition for investigation of Kamukara, the Director of which is the leading researcher of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago Mccgwire Gibson. The first spade struck the ground in November 1999, the Expedition had to learn, to settle, to prepare the area of the excavations, to employ local people for heavy...

It all started with the compilation of detailed maps. And then with its help archaeologists began the next, not less laborious work stage: it was necessary carefully - almost with a magnifying glass in hand - to examine the whole territory of excavations, collecting various pieces. Such studies would give a fairly accurate picture of the size and shape of the settlement. And luck is really smiled archaeologists. Hidden in the land of ancient cities were broken from the horn of plenty.

The first found settlements were about to 3200m BC and occupied an area of about 13 hectares Gradually it grew, the area increased to 102 hectares, and subsequently, the settlement became one of the largest cities of that time. Then, on the basis of found items were identified other, the most interesting places to dig. In the Eastern part of the settlement, the archaeologists found the building where the burnt pots. But the main result of the survey area was the discovery of large settlements South of the hill. More detailed study confirmed that this area was first settled in the beginning of IV Millennium BC If all settlements found to admit one city, then its area will be more than 250 ha, hard to believe. At that time, in the era of the emergence of the first urban settlements, this great city was a real metropolis of antiquity.

Scientists well help the satellites. Made with them pictures has prompted researchers to another thought when 100 m from the hill, with the Northern and Eastern sides, they discerned the dark winding line similar to the city wall, while on earth was visible only a small slope. Further examination showed that the wall could be located closer to the hill, and the slope has been preserved from the ditches, supplied the city with water.

Excavations were carried out in three zones. The first trench of 60 m long and 3 m wide along the Northern slope of the hill. A systematic process of its digging enabled archaeologists to consider the development of settlements in different epochs, as each step was below the next 4-5 m now: the bottom layer, which reached scientists, and showed the city ITA ago!

At the next level were found several walls of houses made of clay bars, and a huge, perhaps, city, wall 4 meters in height and 4 meters in width. The remains of pottery under it belong to the middle of the fourth Millennium BC Next level Dating back to 3200 BC Pottery from here refers to the creativity of the peoples of southern Iraq, which shows the interaction between the Syrian and Mesopotamian peoples at that time.

These homes follow a more "young" building, built in the III Millennium BC there already, the house of baked brick, wells. Directly above one of the houses built later building - the middle of the first Millennium, and then a modern cemetery.

Another excavation area was full of broken pieces. Breaking it down into sections on five square meters and carefully "shoveled" all the earth. Archaeologists discovered here at home with beautifully preserved clay walls. But inside in a huge number was situated things bygone days - all covered with a thick layer of ash. This created a scientist of great difficulties: try to find the charred fragments in floor cracks, in various bumps and dimples.

Soon were found sources as plentiful ash in the same room were excavated remains of four or five plates, made of clay bars, which partly was scorched, when the furnace was heated. Around the plates were found the remains of barley, wheat, oats, and animal bones. Therefore, plates could be used for baking bread, brewing, cooking meat and other products.

Ceramics, found here, scientists were astonished by its diversity: large pots for cooking usual food, small vessels, and small graceful vessels walls of which are equal to the thickness of ostrich eggs. The houses were found and figurines with big eyes, perhaps some of deity from the middle of the fourth Millennium BC

Still, most fully to talk about the society of that era 15 seals in the form of a carefully drawn animals. They were all found in one pit, presumably - the grave. Also found here and a huge number of beads made of bone, pottery, stones and shells, and some of them were so small in size that it can be assumed: it was used not as necklaces, and intertwined or vivalis in clothes.

Print carved out of stone in the form of animals. One of the largest and most beautiful of the seals made in the form of leopard spots which are made with the help of small pins that are inserted into the drilled holes. As was found in print, not inferior leopard beauty, is in the form of a horned beast, but, unfortunately, the horn is broken. Large print much more diverse, but they are much smaller than small, the main types of which are lion, goat, bear, dog, rabbit, fish and poultry. Larger and more elaborate printing must have belonged to the people with great power or wealth, while small, you may have used other people to refer to private property.

In a small pit in two metres deep in the North-Eastern part of the excavations, immediately below the surface, the researchers found the wall, Dating back to the VII century ad, and even a meter below the corner of the building, reinforced back with two niches. Backup was installed next to the door that leads to the East. Door-post, backup, niches and the southern wall is covered with lime. Typically, these props with niches installed not private, and Church buildings. The fragments of ceramics, was found near the temple, beginning the third Millennium BC, that is Arkadiyskiy a time when the rulers of Akkad, States in southern Mesopotamia, began its expansion to the territory of Syria. Since this is a critical period in the history of Mesopotamia, where are intertwined so many ages, becomes the main direction of the forces of the expedition in the next season.

Earlier historians have suggested that the Syrian and Turkish state began to develop actively only after contact with representatives of Uruk - ancient state in southern Iraq. But the excavations of Kamukara prove highly developed society has appeared not only in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, but also in other areas at the same time. Some researchers even believe that the original civilization originated in Syria. Find virtually changed the traditional understanding of the emergence of cities and civilization as a whole, making it necessary to consider the birth and spread in an earlier time.

If previously it was believed that civilization originated in the Uruk period (about 4000 BC), but now there is evidence of its existence in Ubizskii period (about 4500 BC). This means that the development of the first States began before the appearance of written language and other phenomena that are considered by the criteria of civilization. Between different peoples began to be formed vital links, people could exchange their experience. Civilization began to walk the planet by leaps and bounds!

Excavations of Kamukara promise a lot of discoveries, because this is the only place where the layers 4000 BC lie in two meters from the surface and even higher.