The site of Tell Halaf, the ancient name of which has yet to be discovered, was located by Baron von Oppenheim while on a mission to survey the land for the Baghdad Railway. The Baron returned some years later to excavate the mound, and this monograph is his considered statement of the site’s importance. Setting the stage with a narrative of the discovery of the tell, von Oppenheim proceeds to describe the structures, monumental statuary and smaller objects recovered from the dig. Lavishly illustrated with over 85 illustrations and maps, this volume contains a storehouse of knowledge on ancient Syria, at that time part of the cultural continuum of Mesopotamia.

Baron Max von Oppenheim (1860-1946) was a German diplomat who became an authority on ancient history and an archaeologist. While on an engineering survey concerning the building of the Baghdad Railway, he discovered the mound now known as Tell Halaf. He authored several publications on the site.