The 1973 season at Umm Dabaghiyah took place under weather conditions different from those of the two preceding ones. The exceptionally good Spring of 1972, and subsequent heavy dew, enabled the scrub vegetation to come up and thus to hold the surface soil in place despite high winds and a practically total drought. In 1973, we had neither rain, apart from a few sparse drops, nor a single thunderstorm, while the real dust-storms started only late in May despite the high winds that were a constant factor. The only interruptions to the work were caused when gales blew the soft soil from both dig and dumps across the excavations, but very little time was lost through this.

The British School of Archaeology in Iraq and the British Academy, together with the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and the University of Sydney gave generous grants towards the work. The following team, under the direction of the writer took part: Mrs. Harriet Martin, Mr. Peter Fames, Mr. Hilary Stuart-Williams, site supervisors; Mr. Douglas Rawlinson Hobbs, surveyor, draughtsman and photographer; Mrs. Gwyneth Rawlinson Hobbs, conservator; Hr. Søren Berthelsen of Aarhus University, pottery classification; Mr. Peter Dorrell, geomorphologist and photographer; Mr. Richard Hubbard, environmental studies. Sayid Ismail al-Hajara represented the Directorate General of Antiquities for the second time, and again proved invaluable both as a site supervisor and general supervisor; we are indeed grateful to him. During the season we again had the pleasure of welcoming the Director General of Antiquities, Dr. Isa Salman, and the Inspector General of Excavations, Dr. Fuad Safar when they visited the excavations. We are most indebted to them for their encouraging cooperation and genuine interest in the site. We should also acknowledge the friendly help of the Government officials of Hatra.