evidence of war waged in Syria 6,000 years ago

It was the Uruks of southern Iraq versus the fortified town of Hamoukar in Syria. There is a clipping over at Stone Pages, but this is a very slightly different story:

Archaeologists in Syria claim to have found the site of the first war in the world in the ancient city of Hamoukar.

Thousands of small clay balls have been found during a dig on the Syrian border with Iraq, suggesting that invaders from southern Mesopotamia had besieged the ancient city.

An excavation has been underway in the north east of the country for more than three years and German archaeologist, Clemens Reichel, has described the latest find as evidence of "humanity's first war" between those in the fortified town of Hamoukar and southern attackers, the Uruks.

The archaeologist claims that the 2,300 clay balls, believed to have been used as ammunition nearly 6,000 years ago, were used in the world's first offensive war and Uruk pottery found at the battle site further supports the theory.

He told Die Zeit weekly, "It was not a little skirmish which took place here", adding that the discovery indicated that the site had been a "combat zone".

The dig at Hamoukar for the University of Chicago is expected to provide important information about the beginnings of humanity.

Go Fighting Uruks! Gilgamesh! Nimrod!