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Among ancient and modern societies, the transformation in funerary customs can represent a clear indicator of changes in the social fabric of a given society. It is within this perspective that archaeologists should thus correlate the information available from the "world of the living" with those recognizable in funerary contexts. For the purpose of reaching this target, the focus of this paper is on the residential graves found in Mesopotamian contexts of the late third and early second millennia BCE, and on the relationship between changes in funerary customs, socioeconomic transformations and the emergence of new social groups among Mesopotamian communities during this specific period. [ancient Mesopotamia, funerary chambers, ancestors, household, merchants]

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nicola laneri, mark schwartz, jason ur, anacleto d'agostino, remi berthon, mette marie hald, and anke marsh field report www.ajaonline.org Excavations at the relatively small but strategically placed site of Hirbemerdon Tepe, located along the west bank of the upper Tigris River in modern southeastern Turkey, have yielded significant results. During the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1600 B.C.E.), the site was situated in an ecologically stratified landscape that included river terraces suitable for agriculture as well as forested uplands ideal for pastoral and hunting activities. A significant result of these excavations, which were conducted by the Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project, was the discovery of a well-preserved architectural complex with associated ritual artifacts on the northern side of the high mound. This report describes and situates this Middle Bronze Age site within its geographic, cultural, and ecological context. It examines the emergence of this small regional center and investigates the role of ritual activities in the development of socially integrated communities in the frontier zone of northern Mesopotamia during the beginning of the second millennium B.C.E. 1 introduction Over the last 20 years, archaeologists have incorporated the detailed study of small-scale rural communities into their analyses of large-scale urban societies. These efforts are critical to a holistic understanding of regional social complexity. 2 Furthermore, these investigations have established new research trajectories that emphasize the social organization of societies lacking major urban centers. The complex relationships between domestic, ceremonial, and economic elements have been highlighted in studies of ancient smallscale societies in both the Old and New Worlds. 31 We would like to thank the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey for its support and the permit for archaeological work at Hirbemerdon Tepe since 2003. The project was jointly planned with the Archaeological Museum of Diyarbakır as part of the Ilısu Dam Rescue Project. To the project's director, Mehmet Çelebi, go our warmest acknowledgments. The Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project has been financially supported by the University of Catania, the Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente, Grand Valley State University, Harvard University, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Curtiss T. and Mary G. Brennan Foundation, the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, the Credito Siciliano, and other private donors. Finally, we would like to thank Seth Richardson and the anonymous reviewers for the AJA for their comments, which were useful for revising this report. Figures are from the Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project archive unless otherwise noted.