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Two carbon-14 dates lying between 2.100 Fig. 7. Stamp seals of steatite found in the
and 2,000 B.C. have been obtained on wood and basin of the third temple.
charcoal found in layers accumulated when the
third temple was in use.
In conclusion, then, it can be stated that played an important role in the rituals.
In its general plan as well as in many
the first temple at Barbar was built in the
beginning of the third millennium, and hardly details the Barbar temple is closely related to
later than ca. 2,700 B.C. The construction of the contemporary Sumerian temples at Kha-
fajah and Ubaid.
the second temple, which at the same time is
the first oval temple, cannot be dated with 1 W. W. Hallo and Briggs Buckanan, “A*
certanty, but it is likely that the building Persian Gulf’Seal on an Old Babylonian
Mercantile Agreement,” Studies in Honor
derives from the middle of the third millennium.
On account of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian of Benno Landsberger (Oriental Institute,
Univ. of Chicago, Assyriological Studies 16,
parallels to objects from the foundation deposit,
1965), pp. 199ff.
the third temple can scarecly be put back later
than around 2,200'B.C.., and stamp seals and 2. The two dates have been obtained from the
C-14 Laboratory of the National Museum in
C-14 dates suggest that the temple was still in
Copenhagen. Calculated with the Libby
use towards 2,000 B.C.
half life of 5570. they run at 1650 100 B.C.
In trying to interpret the temple at Barbar
(K-1575) and 1680 100 B.C. (K-1576). In
we are left without any helpful inscriptions.
order to compensate for the error caused by
From the architectural remains it is dear that
the temple was in continous use through more influence of the geomagnetic field of the
earth, about 400 years have been added to
than 500 years, and it is also evident that fresh
these dates.
water, accessible at the well and in the pool.
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