The Housing Insula

The Housing Insula (sometimes referred to as the Domestic Quarter or DQ) occupies about 3,150 square metres. It includes seven or eight houses or complexes and about 100 rooms. Evidence suggests that it was founded in the mid-third century BCE and abandoned by about 72 BCE.

Under the direction of Peter Connor, excavation commenced in 1987 with Sondage Delta, which turned out to be south-east corner of the Insula. In 1995 Heather Jackson assumed the direction and excavation continued until it was completed in 2006.

A Rubbish Mound to the north was excavated in 1988. Two trenches to the south, named AB, were excavated in 1988-1989. Area E was excavated in 2002 in order to define the width of the road to the north.

Major report:

• H. Jackson, Jebel Khalid on the Euphrates, Volume Four: The Housing Insula. Mediterranean Archaeology Supplement 9 (Sydney, 2014).

Other publications
Plan of the Insula
Trenches excavated by 1996 and others marked out for 2000.
Trenches excavated 1987-2002.
DVD (with details of Insula rooms, some 6,300 found objects and 5,663 illustrations)
Field books

The Australian Mission to Jebel Khalid is a joint project of the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne.