From military structure to monumental complex. The Logardan fortress and chateau: A first tentative functional reconstruction of architectural spaces
Résumé
The currently available data on military and monumental architecture of the second half of the third millennium BCE in the Trans-Tigridian region and the Zagros Piedmont are extremely limited. For this reason, the levels from the third quarter of the third millennium brought to light during the latest excavation campaigns on the summit of Logardan (Chamchamal area, Sulaymaniyah Governorate) represent significant evidence of the structures used first to defend and then to administrate a “border” region. At present, the vestiges of the stronghold – later converted into a monumental compound – are only partially known. However, stratigraphic and architectural analysis, as well as the distribution of archaeological materials associated with the built spaces allow a first reconstruction of the internal organisation of these two structures. Their design features are the result of local architectural traditions, Mesopotamian influences, and effective adaptive expedients with respect to the topographical characteristics of the site. They compose a built environment with few formal parallels, but with very clear functional qualities. However, the details of the defensive and monumental attributes of this frontier station raise many questions. How should the very notion of “frontier” be interpreted in this particular area, until recently considered as a Mesopotamian irrelevant periphery? And what might have been the political entities that established and administered their mutual boundaries in the Qara Dagh area?
