Tell Kazel and the Mycenaean Contacts with Amurru (Syria)
Reinhard Jung

Situated in coastal Syria near modern Tartous, Tell Kazel has been identified as a principal site of the LBA kingdom of Amurru - probably its capital. During a long period of excavations by the Museum of the American University of Beirut under the direction of Dr. Leila Badre a considerable amount of Mycenaean style pottery has been unearthed, well stratified in settlement and temple deposits. There is a wide spectrum of imports, most probably from mainland Greece (judged by macroscopic examination so far). These imports can be seen on the background of Mycenaean - Amurru trade relations referred to by Hittite cuneiform sources. Apart from that there is also a great number of apparently locally produced Mycenaean pottery showing the adoption of LH IIIC style. The paper gives a broad overview of imported and local Mycenaean pottery and its relevance to relative and absolute chronology.