New archaeological exhibition in Damascus

Archaeological research in Syria is for a large part a matter of international cooperation. Under the flag of the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, archaeologists from the United States, Russia, Australia and Japan are working in the country. Europe, too, is strongly represented. Today archaeological teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland and Finland work in Syria annually.

In December 2004 a new permanent exhibition on Syrian prehistory was opened in the National Museum of Archaeology  in Damascus, with money from the European Union and under the supervision of Danielle Stordeur from France. It beautifully shows the results of all the research mentioned above. The Tell Sabi Abyad project is also prominently present in the exhibition. For the first time a wide audience can now see with their own eyes the unique prehistoric pottery from Tell Sabi Abyad - almost 9000 years old and therefore the oldest pottery in the Near East.

It will surprise no one that this thousands-of-years-old pottery is very fragile. The pots and bowls were therefore carefully restored first by Renske Dooijes, who is a restorator for the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, before they were included in the exhibition.

If you want to know more about the oldest pottery, please go to: oldest pottery and to: prehistoric pottery.