afrinpost
According to what was confirmed by the Directorate of Antiquities of Afrin, on its official page on social media, the Hamo archaeological hill (Tel Hamo) and its surroundings were subjected to sabotage excavations by Turkish militants in the unoccupied part of the residential buildings located in the northeastern corner of the hill and near one of the houses located on the southern slope of it.
The aforementioned house was surrounded by many trees, according to the testimonies of the people and the satellite image dated 4/24/2018, and the satellite images dating back to before the occupation clearly show these trees.
The archaeological Tel Hamo hill is located within the village of Tel Hamo, which is located to the left of the main road connecting the city of Afrin and the district of Jindires, and is about 16 km to the west from the city of Afrin.
Tal Hamo is registered in the records of the Syrian Antiquities Directorate by Resolution 244/A of 1981.
The Directorate of Antiquities of Afrin also quoted the testimonies of witnesses from inside Afrin that the archaeological hill of Qabeh and its surroundings were also subjected to sabotage excavations, but the site of the hill on the Syrian-Turkish border prevented us from obtaining photographs of these excavations due to the Turkish border guards targeting Syrian citizens with live bullets as they approached from the border.
However, satellite images dated 7/8, 22/8 and 28/9 of 2019 clearly show traces of excavations on the hill and its surroundings. The most visible area of these excavations is located southeast of the hill at the end of the slope adjacent to the plain surrounding the hill, although this slope contained many ancient tombs carved in the rock.
It is worth noting that these excavations have disappeared, according to the satellite image dated 18/2/2021, which means that it is difficult to document violations in the future in light of the disappearance of evidence, and the Turkish state not allowing the entry of specialized neutral organizations to see the situation inside the Syrian region of Afrin.
Tal Qabeh is located about 10 km southwest of Rajo town, on point zero of the Turkish border on the Syrian side of the border, about 35 km northwest of Afrin.
The hill derives its name from a building with cylindrical vaults, which is still visible on the surface of the hill. There is a perennial cannabis tree in the northeastern corner of the hill near a water well and old water bowls. It is one of the hills not registered in the records of the Syrian Antiquities Directorate.
The directorate indicated that there is no information available about the the materials and archaeological finds that appeared during the vandalism excavations on both hills.
