Tell Billa, Iraq expedition records
PU-Mu. 1022
- Creator(s)
-
Jayne, Horace Howard Furness, 1898-1975
- Date(s)
-
[inclusive] 1930-1933
- Call Number
- PU-Mu. 1022
- Physical Description
- Extent: 2.31 Linear feet
- Language(s)
-
eng
Tell Billa is located eight miles east of Tepe Gawra and was excavated by the same staff. Because Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra were excavated simultaneosly, records from the excavations are somewhat mixed and should be used together. Although it is difficult to determine amounts of time spent at Tell Billa, emphasis shifted after the third season to the prehistoric layers at Tepe Gawra. When other order is lacking, a chronological order was imposed on the general correspondence according to field season. Related material may be found in correspondence from the Directors Office, Jayne (1929-1940) in the files for Dorothy Cross, George A. Barton, A.S.O.R., and Paul Beidler.
Tell Billa is located eight miles east of Tepe Gawra and was excavated by the same staff. Because Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra were excavated simultaneosly, records from the excavations are somewhat mixed and should be used together. Although it is difficult to determine amounts of time spent at Tell Billa, emphasis shifted after the third season to the prehistoric layers at Tepe Gawra.
Photographs were retained with the document when they directly referred to content. Otherwise, the photographic collections hold material relating to excavations, objects, and travel photographs (see standard size prints) The oversize map cabinets should be consulted for the object registers for 1930-1931, 1931-1932, 1932-1933, the architect’s notebook, and plans and drawings. The Print Cabinet should be consulted for pen and ink sketches and watercolors of ceramics.
Publication Information: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives, July 2009
Finding Aid Author:
Use Restrictions: Although many items from the archives are in the public domain, copyright may be retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. The user is fully responsible for compliance with relevant copyright law.
Corporate Name(s)
- American School of Oriental Research in Baghdad.
- University of Pennsylvania. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Form(s)/Genre(s)
- Card catalogs
- Correspondence
- Field notes
Geographic Name(s)
- Tepe Gawra (deserted settlement)
Personal Name(s)
- Jayne, Horace Howard Furness, 1898-1975
- Speiser, E. A. (Ephraim Avigdor), 1902-1965
Collections Inventory
General Correspondence (inclusive: 1930-1937)
Scope and Contents note
Reports from the field, financial statements, telegrams and letters to the director, correspondence between the Museum and American Schools of Oriental Research regarding the Joint Assyrian Expedition. Folders are arranged in chronological order. Notes and comments on Billa material by other researchers.
| Agreement between American School of Oriental Research and Museum, related correspondence 1930, | Box 1 |
| E.A. Speiser correspondence, financial statements 1930-1931, | Box 1 |
| Tell Billa Reports: 1-10th 1930-1932, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence, financial statements and notes 1931-1932, | Box 1 |
| George A. Barton and Horace H.F. Jayne correspondence 1932, | Box 1 |
| Bache correpondence and financial statements 1932-1933, | Box 1 |
| Monthly Reports from Tell Billa 1932-1933, | Box 1 |
| General Summary 1932-1933, | Box 1 |
| Monthly Report Photographs Feb.1933, | Box 1 |
| Monthly Report Photographs Mar.1933, | Box 1 |
| Documents and Correspondence 1932-1934, | Box 1 |
| Tepe Gawra/Tell Billa accounts 1932-1935, | Box 1 |
| Expedition correspondence with the Antiquities Dept. and Documents regarding: EW Antiquities Law 1933-1938, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence, telegrams and financial reports, | Box 1 |
| Expedition Photograph Catalogue 1934-1935, | Box 1 |
| Expedition, Bache correspondence, some sketches, financial statements 1935, | Box 1 |
| Correspondence C. Bache and financial summary 1935-1936, | Box 1 |
| Bache- correspondence, telegrams and expence accounts 1937, | Box 1 |
| Notes and comments on Tell Billa records, | Box 1 |
Field Notes (inclusive: 1930-1938)
Scope and Contents note
Field notes, sketches of levels, burial locus cards, field notes and catalogues, burial cards and plans, object registers, architect’s notebook and survey notes,, book and photographic catalogues. Notes are arranged by type and thereunder chronologically where possible.
| Survey notebook 1932-1935, | Box 1 |
| Tell Billa, Tepe Gawra and surrounding area survey notes 1933-1937, | Box 1 |
| Photographic catalogues, | Box 1 |
| Field notes, Burial notes and sketches 1932-1933, | Box 1 |
| Burial catalogue- burial sheets 1932-1938, | Box 1 |
| Burial cards 1932-1933, | Box 3 |
| Locus Cards- 1-40, | Box 3 |
Publications (inclusive: 1933-1938)
Scope and Contents note
List of publications of the staff, epigraphic report, drafts for Speiser and Bache articles. Arrangedd by subject.
| Publications of the Staff 1935, | Box 2 |
| E.A. Speiser Pottery of Tell Billa, Photographs, | Box 2 |
| C. Bache- The First Assyrian Level, Stratum I and Room Catalogue, | Box 2 |
| E.A. Speiser, Epigraphical Report 1934-1935, | Box 2 |
Indexes and Catalogues (inclusive: 1931-1938)
Scope and Contents note
Object cards, some with sketches and/or photographs, Museum inventory cards, tombb cards, burial charts, locus catalogue, chit sheets, storeroom inventory notes, tracings and drawings of pottery types and classification and sketches of ceramics. Arranged by type and thereunder numerically or by area.
| [Chit sheets: c. December-February, year unknown], no. 4001-4100, | Box 4 |
| [Storeroom inventory notes], | Box 4 |
| Locus catalogues, object register, c. 1932-1933, and drawings, | Box 4 |
| Burial charts and lists of all objects other than those from burials SQ V6-V5 and W6 and W7, | Box 4 |
| Catalogue of Tell Billa and Tepe Gawra, 1931-1932 excavator’s copy, | Box 4 |
| Classification of ceramics at Tepe Gawra and Tell Billa with sketches, | Box 4 |
| [Artifact Cards, c. 1933], | Box 5 |
| [Artifact Cards, some arranged by area, some by tomb], | Box 6 |
| [Artifact Cards of cylinder seals with tissue drawings and Museum inventory cards], | Box 6 |
| [Artifact Cards], arranged by area, one group arranged numerically 1932-1933, | Box 7 |
| [Tomb and Artifact Cards], | Box 8 |
| Billa Pottery types (tracings), | Box 9 |
| Pottery drawings [most are from tombs], | Box 9 |