Under the direction of Dr. Frank Hole, Mr. Nicholas Kouchoukos will collect data for his doctoral dissertation. He will conduct an archaeology survey in a roughly 2000 km square stretch of semi-arid steppe lying between the Bilikh and Khabur rivers in northeastern syria. This area lacks sufficient annual rainfall for predictable dry-farming but provides extensive grazing land for livestock. Preliminary archaeological survey during the summer of 1994 revealed extensive traces of ancient settlement at scales ranging from temporary camps to towns nearly 30ha in size. Analysis of pottery and other artifacts collected from the surfaces of these sites indicates that periods of settlement were episodic and often separated by more than a millennium. With National Science Foundation support, Mr. Kouchoukos will extend his survey. He will use satellite photographs to map geology and ground cover and on this basis devise a sampling design. He will collect information on current land use practices, land cover types and soil and water conditions. Once sites are discovered systematic collections of surface artifacts will be made and complete topographic mapping of sites will proceed simultaneously with surface collection. Ceramics and other materials will be analyzed. Site and environmental information will be plotted on satellite photographs and these data will permit the analysis of human use of this region over a long span of time. The goal of Mr.Kouchoukos' research is to understand how both environmental and social factors affect human settlement patterns and land use. Although little is known about the survey region itself, a broader archaeological context has been established. Using this as a base, it is then possible to determine how under different forms of social organization and environmental conditions, groups utilize this marginal area and how these different uses are reflected on the ground. This research is important for many reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will increase understanding of human-environment interactions and will contribute to the training of a promising young scientist.
