90 years and counting: Ongoing research on Hama, inland Western Syria

Between 1931 and 1938, a team of Danish archaeologists excavated the ancient site of Hama in inland Western Syria. A substantial portion of the discovered artifacts has been preserved in the National Museum of Denmark. Since then, sporadic research on the collection has been carried out. Most recently, two interdisciplinary research projects have initiated a range of analyses, including petrography, 14C dating, archaeomagnetism, residue analysis, archaeobotany, archaeozoology, and fingerprint analysis, to further explore the scale and complexity of this settlement.Hama is still a key site in the archaeology of Western Syria. This paper outlines the development of research on the site and shows how excavations carried out some 90 years ago continue to be useful for modern research in the Near East. We also underline the importance of revisiting old museum collections, particularly from areas such as Syria, where fieldwork is still currently impossible.