The site was first noted, as Grai Reš, in 1938 by
Seton Lloyd during a survey of the Sinjar region. It was said to be primarily from the
Uruk period based on surface pottery, including
Beveled rim bowls. Excavation was conducted in 1939 by Lloyd on behalf of the Department of Antiquities of the Government of Iraq. The site was reported as being 200 meters by 300 meters with a swift flowing stream running along the eastern edge and an overall area of about 6 hectares. A modern road from Tell Afar to Balad Sinjar divided the site in half with the southern portion rising 12 meters above the plain and the northern portion 20 meters. Remnants of a
mudbrick structure destroyed by fire is visible in the cut. A 20-meter square was excavated just south of the road (Area AB) followed by a 30 meter long and 4 meter wide trench (Trench C) running east of the square. Nine building levels were determined, in Area AB - Levels I-III and in Trench C Levels IV-IX. The primary focus of the work was on a private house in Level II. • Level I - Small building. Ninevite V period pottery. Possibly Early Dynastic. • Level II - Well built private home. Greyware pottery. Possibly Jemdat Nasr • Levels III-V - Private home destroyed by fire. Uruk period pottery. Excavation found a 5 meter wide wall thought to be a defensive wall or fortification. Levels IV - V showed transition from Ubaid pottery • Levels VI-IX - Ubaid period. Painted pottery. The Level II private home, of large rectangular mudbricks, was roughly 12 meters by 8 meters holding a long central room with white painted walls, several side rooms, and an entrance way. A large storage jar contained wheat and barley carbonized by the fire and others the remains of meat. There was evidence of small scale lithic manufacturing in flint and obsidian producing mainly sickle blades. Small finds included the horns of a water buffalo, baked clay animals, figurines, spindle whorls, and sling pellets, purple marble macehead, copper drill bit, and beads of stone clay and obsidian. A stamp seal and one sealing were also found. In 2002 an excavation season was conducted. Work occurred in the old road cut area that was examined by the 1939 excavation (Area AB) and along the new road in the south. In area A, in extending the early work, a mudbrick burial vault was found on Level IV. It contained the remains of a child with 19 beads around the wrist (16 carnelian, 2 lapis lazuli, 1 gold). In area B enough soil had been removed by bulldozers that it was not possible to identify the 1939 excavation. Six 10 meter by 10 meter trenches were opened there. At this point they subdivided Level II into IIA and IIB. On Level IIA A tripartite building and a terracotta eye-idol were found. On Level IB they found several tripartite buildings. In one was a bead workshop with hundreds of calcite, bone, obsidian and shell beads, a black stone seal with geometric design, and an amulet in the shape of a human head in profile were found. A number of ovens were found in and associated with buildings and some of buildings contained, spindle whorls,
Canaanite blades and other flint and obsidian tools, and possible sling bullets. A few possible clay tokens rested on floors. Subsequent work at the site was curtailed due to the 2003 war in Iraq. ==History==