The role of the service quarters in palaces in the 3rd millennium BC. The palace of Tupkish at Urkesh as a test case: stratigraphy, typology, and conservation

This study focuses on the role of the service quarter in the Palace of Tupkish at Tell Mozan, through stratigraphic analysis and typological study, considering it as a case study—particularly the kitchen—for an understanding of the logistic and functional dimensions of kingship in the third millennium B.C. It also includes comparative analyses with neighboring sites such as Tell Arbid, Tell Leilan, Tell Beydar, Tell Chuera, and Tell Brak, revealing broader patterns in economic and administrative organization, in addition to the role that palaces played as centers of power and economy. The study examines the functioning of service quarters, particularly the kitchen, storage, and administrative sectors, and their spatial and functional roles within the palace complex. It also highlights the role played by the archaeological mission regarding conservation efforts, both in terms of preserving the site as an architectural archaeological entity and through digital dissemination via the Urkesh Global Record (UGR) —namely, the assessment of conservation strategies and digital documentation methods employed at Tell Mozan, as well as my role in both processes.