The site of Al-Mina, the port of Aḫtâ and Mediterranean trade in the age of the Assyrian Empire

We propose identification of Al-Mina with Aḫtâ and position this, firstly, in the context of the historical and strategic assessment of the Orontes estuary and the Amuq plain, secondly in the context of a re-evaluation of the archaeological evidence of Al-Mina and, thirdly, in the context of a discussion of Mediterranean trade during the time of the Assyrian Empire. To this end, we discuss the sites of Al-Mina and Sabuniye and then widen our focus for a historical survey of the political and strategic importance of the Orontes estuary before turning to Greeks and Greek import pottery in the Assyrian Empire; we conclude with an analysis of Al-Mina’s role in the Mediterranean trade during the time of the Assyrian Empire