Max Mallowan & Agatha Christie on Tall al-Hamidiya

In the 1930ies while surveying the area of the Jaghjagh river Max Mallowan and his wife Agatha Christie visited Tall al-Hamidiya.

Agatha Christie described their day on Tall al-Hamidiya in her book Come, Tell Me How You Live:

«Our particular objective is one Tell Hamidi, of which we have heard good accounts, but it is difficult to reach, as there is no direct track. It means taking a line across country and the crossing of innumerable little ditches and wadis. Hamoudi is in great spirits this morning.

Mac is quietly gloomy, and opines that we shall never get to the mound. It takes us seven hours of motoring – a very tiring seven hours, with the car sticking more than once and having to be dug out. Hamoudi surpasses himself on these occasions. He always considers a car as a kind of inferior though swifter horse. In any moment of uncertainty with a wadi ahead, Hamoudi’s voice rises excitedly, giving frenzied orders to Aristide. ‘Quickly – quickly! Give the machine no time to refuse! Rush at it! Rush at it!’ His disgust when Max stops the car and walks ahead to examine the difficulty is extreme. He shakes his head in utter dissatisfaction. Not so, he seems to say, should you treat a high-mettled and nervous car! Give it no time to reflect and all will be well.

After detours, checks, and the taking on of local guides, we do at last reach the goal. Very beautiful Tell Hamidi looks in the afternoon sun, and it is with a sense of achievement that the car drives proudly up the gentle incline to its summit where we look down on a marsh teeming with wild duck.

Mac is sufficiently moved to utter a remark. ‘Ah,’ he says in a tone of gloomy satisfaction, ‘stagnant water, I see!’ It is hereafter to be his nickname!»

Agatha Christie took a photograph of the Southwestern Area of the Tall. It is now in the British Museum.

The Southwestern Area of Tall al-Hamidiya