DIGGING
BEYOND THE TIGRIS
by Linda
Braidwood
LONDON: First Edition 1953
by Linda Braidwood
LONDON: First Edition 1953
An American Woman Archaeologist’s Story of Life on a ‘Dig’
In the Kurdish Hills of Northern Iraq 200
Miles North of Baghdad.
A Happy Story of an Adventure into the Archeological Past
Small Testing Trenches on Karim Shahir
Darkroom with Vivian Calculating Exposure Time
Shergati Pickrnan, Saleh
Mahmud at Work on Dig
Linda Braidwood (1909-2003)
Linda Braidwood, a Research Associate at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, was a constant companion and professional colleague to her husband, Robert. She died the evening of his death, Wednesday, January 15, in the University of Chicago Hospitals. Linda Braidwood received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1932 and an M.A. in Archaeology from the University of Chicago in 1946. She joined her husband on expeditions throughout the Middle East, beginning in 1937. She helped him organize the work and was a frequent collaborator on his projects, which took the couple to Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. She published extensively with her husband and other scholars. She was the author of Digging Beyond the Tigris and wrote a number of reviews and other articles.
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From Introduction ...
THIS is the story of a happy archaeological digging season in the Near East, of how it was planned and how the expedition lived and worked in the field. In the old days the archaeologist was a romantic individual in a sun helmet. He brought his museum or his patron the loot of royal tombs or of the great cities of known fame, Babylon, Ur, and Nineveh.
The modern archaeologist is not interested in glittering antiquities as such. He is searching for general understanding of man's past rather than for royal tombs. He is contributing ideas rather than loot.
Jarmo, the site we excavated, promised to lead to a clearer understanding of the first great change in human history; the time when men first settled down in villages and lived by farming and herding. If we could learn a little more about this, our year would be well-spent.
Staff picture taken during visit of Naji Beg
Left to right: Sabri, Bruce, Naji Beg, Bob B., Fred, Bob A.,
Liz, Linda, Vivian
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Zahala with Esa's Visiting Brother
Bob and Abdullah punching men "out" with Douglas observing
Bob taking bakshish; Abdullah at left, Gretel above
Observing Camera (1948 Season)
Preparing IPC Exhibit
Sabri at Accounts
Line of Men Dancing at Opening Fantasia
Kurdish Wedding: Bride at right, our Guard's Mother in Center
Kurdish Wedding: Moloud, the Bridegroom
Kurdish Wedding: Men Guests in Courtyard Washing Hands before Eating
Contents ...
Chapter
Introduction
How We Came To Dig Jarmo
Getting Ready To Go
From Beirut To Damascus
Baghdad
Up To Jarmo
Getting Settled - Jarmo Style
We Begin To Dig
An Interlude of Dancing
Getting Into Harness
To Market, To Market
A Kurdish Market Place
Up From Hard-Boiled Egg Pie?
Luncheon For The Governor
Not So Light Housekeeping
Ailments: Automotive And Human
Junior Camp Members
Animal Problems
The Gathering of The Staff
Gran'ma Becomes An Archeologist
Spring Digging
Holidays
A (Pleasant) State of Siege
A Kurdish Wedding And A Cherry Spree
A Busman's Holiday
Digging Ended
The Division
Farewell To Jarmo
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Illustrations ...
Bruce's sketch of older Baghdad houses on the Tigris.
Bruce's sketch of Kirkuk bridge.
Modern Baghdad villa on the Tigris.
Chenchemal plain with mound and village of Chemchemal in center.
View of countryside on way from Jarmo to Karim Shahir,
Site of Jarmo as seen from across wadi.
Making a road in to Jarmo.
Expedition house as seen from south.
Modern example o f how mounds get built.
Men at work on Jarmo excavation.
Mahmud at work on dig.
Shergati pickrnan.
Bob and Abdullah punching men "out" with Douglas observing.
Bob taking bakshish.
Staff picture taken during visit of Naji Beg.
Bob B. at transit making topographic survey.
Pay day.
Vivian photographing.
Liz sorting in stone yard.
Bob A. probing a building corner.
Linda sorting flints, Douglas doing morning lessons.
Jeff and Dick Glessner and Bob B. examining animal teeth.
Herb and Sabri out on survey trip cross Lesser Zab river on barge ferry.
Conference on photographic tower.
Preparing IPC exhibit.
Sabri at accounts.
Darkroom with Vivian calculating exposure time.
Preliminary sketches o f typical Palegawra and Karim Shahir antiquities.
Preliminary sketches of typical Jarmo antiquities.
Jarmo architecture.
Rough stone "flooring" on Karim Shahir.
Jarmo architecture: mud-walled house.
Small testing trenches on Karim Shahir.
Esa making chocolate pudding.
Ali in winter dress.
Water being emptied from donkey's water bag to make mud for Joe's house.
Laundry day ended.
Zahala with Esa's visiting brother.
After a rain; Gretel and Douglas launching the fleet.
Vivian and Douglas round up wandering goats.
Christmas in camp.
Gazelle munching on ancient bone.
Vivian sorting potatoes.
Fred carefully eating meat to avoid damaging ibex bone.
Bruce's sketch o f Kurdish musicians and reed pipe used.
Line of men dancing at opening fantasia.
Sheikh Suliman and son "Billy."
Kurdish wedding.
Kurdish wedding.
Kurdish wedding.
(CONTAINS 50 B & W PHOTOS)
This hardback book, complete with dustjacket comes to you in WELL USED condition.
There is damage and discolouration to the dustjacket which is covered in a plastic protective wrapper which is taped on.
CONTENTS INTACT
297 Printed Pages
CONTENTS (CHAPTER HEADINGS ONLY – Pictures too numerous to list)
CHAPTER HEADINGS:
Introduction
How we came to dig Jarmo
Getting ready to go
From Beirut to Damascus
Baghdad
Up to Jarmo
Getting settled – Jarmo style
We begin to dig
An interlude of dancing
Getting into harness
To Market, to market
A Kurdish market place
Up from hard-boiled egg pie?
Luncheon for the governor
Not so light housekeeping
Ailments: automotive and human
Junior camp members
Animal problems
The gathering of the staff
Gran’ma becomes an archaeologist
Spring digging
Holidays
A (pleasant) states of siege
A Kurdish wedding and a cherry spree
A busman’s holiday
Digging ended
The division
Farewell to Jarmo
Foundation For Kurdish Library & Museum