ASINGERAN, A NEOLITHIC AND CHALCOLITHIC "ICEBERG" IN NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA

Among the many results achieved by the Land of Nineveh Archaeological Project (LoNAP), one of the most notable was the discovery of a number of Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites distributed especially in the Plain of Navkur. One of these, Asingeran, is of particular significance due to considerable evidence of occupation dating to both periods, with a substantial continuation during the second millennium BCE (in particular during the Mitannian and Middle Assyrian period). Since 2018, Asingeran has been investigated by a joint archaeological project conducted by the University of Udine and the Directorate of Antiquities of Dohuk, which aims to throw light on its extensive archaeological sequence and in particular the late Neolithic - Chalcolithic periods. This paper discusses the results of the first archaeological campaign: albeit preliminary, the data to hand reveal Asingeran's important contribution to our understanding of the development dynamics that characterised Northern Mesopotamia during the late 5th - early 4th millennium BCE. The study of Asingeran has furnished information that explains the site's formation, its visibility in the plain and the existence of a hidden archaeological landscape that may characterise much of the plain of Navkur and probably a significant portion of Northern Mesopotamia.