Archaeological culture · c. 6100–5100 BCE
Halaf culture
A Neolithic culture centred on the Khabur valley and the plains of southeastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq. It is famous for some of the finest painted pottery of prehistory, with geometric and animal designs.
Halaf-style material is found right across Greater Mesopotamia. The culture is named after Tell Halaf in Syria, excavated by Max von Oppenheim from 1911.
See Halaf culture on the map in 6100 BCE
- On the map
- 6100–5100 BCE
How we know
No writing existed; everything comes from excavated sites, their tools and pottery, and radiocarbon dates.
Sites
- Tell Halaf c. 6100–5400 BCE (Halaf village); later the Aramaean city of Guzana