Terracotta figurines from the Middle Euphrates Region in the 3rd millenium BC

The Middle Euphrates Region covers the Euphrates River and its immediate surroundings, extending from the vicinity of Hassek Höyük in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa province along the Euphrates River to ancient Mari in the south (11 km northwest of the town of Abu Kemal in Syria). This region is a transition zone between Mesopotamia in the east and the Levant in the west. The Middle Euphrates Region has become one of the most important settlement areas in the Near East as it is the intersection of the trade routes connecting Southern Mesopotamia to Anatolia along the east-west direction from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean. Within the scope of the thesis, the figurines unearthed in the region were evaluated in terms of production technique, type, and iconography, and compared with similar figurines among the settlements. Considering the contexts of the settlements, the production purposes and functions of terracotta figurines, which were one of the means of socio-cultural, religious, and political self-expression of the societies living in the 3rd millennium BC, were discussed. The Middle Euphrates Region has managed to maintain its importance from the past to the present due to its strategic location. It has become one of the best-researched regions of the Near East with the contributions of many dam projects. Terracotta figurines were generally discussed together with the relevant settlements and a general typology was created. For this reason, the figurines found in the Middle Euphrates Region were evaluated and tried to be redefined by comparing them with the generally published figurines found in the immediate surroundings in Northern Syria; the distribution of figurine groups within the region was examined.