|
Showing 1 - 4 of
4 matches in All Departments
The prehistoric site of Tell Sabi Abyad lies in the valley of the
Balikh River, a tributary of the Euphrates in northern Syria.
Between 2001 and 2008 excavations focused on the north-western,
western and southwestern slopes of the main mound (Operations III,
IV and V). Relentlessly Plain presents the results of detailed
investigations into the 7th millennium BC ceramic assemblages
recovered from those excavations by an interdisciplinary group of
scholars. The 7th millennium BC was an era of profound cultural
transformations in the ancient Near East. This began with the
sustained adoption of pottery c. 7000 cal BC, followed by the slow
advance of the new craft as pottery containers became increasingly
common. Important social, economic and ritual activities became
increasingly dependent on pottery containers. Over the course of
the millennium, prehistoric communities began to cook food and
drink, store surpluses, and send symbolic messages via the medium
of pottery vessels. Tell Sabi Abyad offers a unique vantage point
from which to study these innovations. Supported by a strong
program of radiocarbon dating, extensive excavations have revealed
a lengthy, continuous sequence of prehistoric occupation from the
start of the Late Neolithic into the Early Halaf period. Pottery
changed dramatically in the course of this long trajectory. Whereas
in the initial stages pottery containers were rare, at the end of
the sequence they represented a mass-produced craft. Initially
ceramic containers were visually conspicuous, occasionally
decorated, but masses of relentlessly plain pottery characterize
subsequent stages. The book combines detailed discussion of themes
relevant to the study of early ceramics in the ancient Near East
with extensive analyses of each of the individual wares currently
distinguished at the site. Separate chapters offer perspectives on
the archaeometry, the depositional context, early repairs, food
residues, provenance and associated human burials.
|
|