Abstract The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus... more Abstract The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus between the very end of the 7th and the beginning of the 6th millennium BCE are still unclear and hotly debated. It is within this framework that the excavations at Kicik Tepe, in the middle Kura river valley of Western Azerbaijan, aim to offer new data and new perspectives on the complex interplay of environmental, social and cultural factors that contributed to this process. Excavations at Kicik Tepe uncovered two main phases of occupation consisting of circular buildings dating to the first centuries of the 6th millennium. Architectural remains allowed us to highlight an evolutionary architectural trajectory hinting at social and productive changes in the role and structure of the households. The subsistence strategies that rely on species domesticated elsewhere show at once a series of specificities highlighting adaptation to the local environment and the exploitation of wild species possibly resulting from previous Mesolithic practices. Simultaneously, while the almost aceramic way of life at Kicik Tepe outlines a local dialectic between Mesolithic and Neolithic cooking practices, lithic and macrolithic tools pinpoint broadly shared regional elements as well as very localised traits framed into both long and short distance contacts. As a whole the new evidence from Kicik Tepe highlights that the Neolithisation in the South Caucasus was not a straightforward process that consisted of the abrupt and homogenous adoption of an exogenous ‘package’ but most probably of a gradual and complex process of change resulting from dynamics of resistance and innovation between old and new socio-economic and cultural models.
The encounter of the communities of the Anatolian Upper Euphrates with the Kura-Araxes cultural t... more The encounter of the communities of the Anatolian Upper Euphrates with the Kura-Araxes cultural traditions was a long and complex process that cannot be reduced to the abrupt 'arrival' of migrant communities from East Anatolia or South Caucasus. The historical, political and cultural 'complexities' embedded in this encounter are best exemplified by the case of Period VIB1 at Arslantepe, in the Malatya plain (Eastern Turkey). We examine at first the 'structural' and historical premises of this encounter by examining the Late Chalcolithic evidence from Arslantepe Period VIA witnessing the construction of a monumental palatial complex and the formation of a strong political élite. We believe that the political and economic changes witnessed in Period VIA also generated a sector of specialised herders that could have taken part to a wider sphere of interaction with other communities living in the wider mountainous areas of Central and NorthEastern Anatolia. In the second part of the paper, we examine more thoroughly Period VIB1, which followed the destruction of the palatial complex of Period VIA and that marks the earliest appearance of Kura-Araxes cultural traits in the Malatya region. Period VIB1 witnesses the temporary and reiterated occupations of specialized herders. Though a series of traits of continuity link cultural traditions and husbandry strategies of the Period VIB1 herders with those of Period VIA, the strong Kura-Araxes related ceramic repertoire of the Period VIB1 herders'signals a growing interaction with the regions of East Anatolia and South Caucasus. We suggest that the mobility of these herders could have fostered dynamics of cultural encounter and assimilation of the Kura-Araxes traditions. In the final section, we present new ceramic evidence from Period VIB1. The post-firing incised ceramics from Period VIB1 find close analogies with those from East Anatolia and South Caucasus in Phase Kura-Araxes I. Does not only this evidence confirm direct contacts with the eastern Kura-Araxes communities but the contexts of retrieval of these ceramics at Arslantepe add new suggestions on the ceremonial way in which the encounters between specialised herders from Arslantepe and the Kura-Araxes communities from East Anatolia and South Caucasus might have taken place.
The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus between ... more The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus between the very end of the 7th and the beginning of the 6th millennium BCE are still unclear and hotly debated. It is within this framework that the excavations at Kiçik Tepe, in the middle Kura river valley of Western Azerbaijan, aim to offer new data and new perspectives on the complex interplay of environmental, social and cultural factors that contributed to this process. Excavations at Kiçik Tepe uncovered two main phases of occupation consisting of circular buildings dating to the first centuries of the 6th millennium. Architectural remains allowed us to highlight an evolutionary architectural trajectory hinting at social and productive changes in the role and structure of the households. The subsistence strategies that rely on species domesticated elsewhere show at once a series of specificities highlighting adaptation to the local environment and the exploitation of wild species possibly resulting from previous Mesolithic practices. Simultaneously, while the almost aceramic way of life at Kiçik Tepe outlines a local dialectic between Mesolithic and Neolithic cooking practices, lithic and macrolithic tools pinpoint broadly shared regional elements as well as very localised traits framed into both long and short distance contacts. As a whole the new evidence from Kiçik Tepe highlights that the Neolithisation in the South Caucasus was not a straightforward process that consisted of the abrupt and homogenous adoption of an exogenous 'package' but most probably of a gradual and complex process of change resulting from dynamics of resistance and innovation between old and new socioeconomic and cultural models.
At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4 th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial co... more At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4 th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial complex of period VIA, the following period VIB1 witnesses the flimsy architectural remains of wattle and daub huts associated with a ceramic culture clearly recalling the contemporary Kura-Araxes traditions of Eastern Anatolia and of the Southern Caucasus. The combination of architectural and zooarchaeological data suggests that period VIB1 represented the occupation by one or more specialised pastoral communities. Recent excavations at Arslantepe have brought to light an imposing mud-brick building (Building 36) dating to period VIB1. Building 36 rested on top of a large courtyard and of a monumental hall dating to the period VIA of the palace complex, thus highlighting a strong sense of continuity in terms of monumental architecture between periods VIA and VIB1. It was destroyed by a violent fire, burying a huge amount of materials in situ (83 ceramic vessels, metals and stone tools). A detailed reconstruction of the material assemblages and a thorough analysis of the functions of the building will constitute the main focus of this paper. This will ultimately shed light on the functions and political significance of this special building in the VIB1 settlement in the frame of ceremonial feastings that may have represented the new strategies enacted by the new Kura-Araxes oriented elites that emerged in the Malatya region, following the collapse of the Uruk-related centralised system. Résumé : Vers la fin du 4 e millénaire av. J.-C., après la destruction du complexe palatial d'Arslantepe de la période VIA, on observe sur le site, dans la période qui suit (VIB1), les vestiges de huttes en torchis, associés à une culture céramique qui rappelle des traditions contemporaines du Kura-Araxe de l'Anatolie orientale et du Sud du Caucase. La combinaison des données architecturales et fauniques suggère que la période VIB1 d'Arslantepe pourrait être l'occupation d'une ou plusieurs communautés pastorales. Les fouilles récentes effectuées à Arslantepe ont mis au jour un grand bâtiment en brique crue (Bâtiment 36) datant de cette période. Ce bâtiment repose directement sur une grande cour et une salle monumentale du complexe palatial de la période VIA ; il souligne une continuité très soutenue dans l'architecture monumentale entre les deux périodes. Ce bâtiment fut détruit par un violent incendie qui a entraîné l'enfouissement d'une quantité considérable de mobilier in situ (83 vases en céramique, métaux et outils en pierre). Cet article met l'accent sur une reconstitution détaillée de tous les assemblages recueillis et sur une analyse de la fonction du bâtiment. Cette reconstitution a pour but de faire la lumière sur le rôle social et politique de ce bâtiment spécial dans le cadre de cérémonies et de repas collectifs qui ont pu représenter les stratégies politiques mises en place par les nouvelles élites influencées par le monde Kura-Araxe, élites qui « émergent » dans la région de Malatya à la suite de l'effondrement d'un système centralisé, dérivé du monde urukéen.
Food and its interactions with the environmental, economic, social, and cultural spheres play an ... more Food and its interactions with the environmental, economic, social, and cultural spheres play an essential role in communities' cultural identity. This theory has been verified by an analysis of the Kura-Araxes (KA) culture, characterised by original cultural developments, which spread in the South Caucasus around the middle of the fourth millennium BC. This research aims to study the variability of dietary choices at the individual and population levels by analysing stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ 13 C, δ 15 N). To monitor regional and diachronic changes in dietary patterns, we performed analysis on human, animal, and plant materials (n = 144) from eight KA highland and lowland sites in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia compared with data (n = 39) from Post-KA sites already published (Herrscher et al. 2016, 2018b). Isotopic data show no significant differences with altitude. The KA diet is characterised by higher consumption of herbivore meat than pork and higher barley consumption than wheat. No relationship with age at death, sex, and burial traits were observed, suggesting "equal" access to food among community members. Human low isotope variability shows persistence over KA's entire duration (3,500-2,500 BC), while it is significantly different between KA and Post-KA subjects. The results confirm the homogeneity of KA communities' food practices that reinforces the theory of a "strong cultural identity" of the KA populations. Résumé. L'alimentation et l'ensemble des interactions qu'elle entretient avec les sphères environnementale, économique, sociale et culturelle jouent un rôle important dans l'identité culturelle des communautés. Cette théorie a été vérifiée par une analyse de la culture Kuro-Araxe (KA), caractérisée par des développements culturels originaux, qui s'est répandue dans le Caucase du Sud vers le milieu du quatrième millénaire avant notre ère. Cette recherche vise à étudier la variabilité des choix alimentaires, aux niveaux individuel et populationnel, par l'analyse des isotopes stables du carbone et de l'azote (δ 13 C, δ 15 N). Afin de suivre les changements régionaux et diachroniques des modes alimentaires, des analyses ont été réalisées sur des matériaux humains, animaux et végétaux (n = 144) provenant de sites d'altitudes différentes, huit en Géorgie, deux en Arménie et un en Azerbaïdjan et comparées à des données (n = 39) provenant de 4 sites Post KA de la région déjà publiées (Herrscher et al. 2016, 2018b) Les données isotopiques ne montrent aucun changement significatif avec l'altitude. L'alimentation KA se caractérise par une plus grande consommation de viande d'herbivore que de porc et une plus grande consommation d'orge que de blé. Aucune relation avec l'âge au décès, le sexe et les traits funéraires n'a été observée, ce qui suggère un accès « égal » à la nourriture entre les membres des communautés. La variabilité isotopique humaine montre une persistance sur toute la durée du KA (3500-2500 avant J.-C.), tandis qu'elle est significativement différente entre les sujets KA et Post KA. Les résultats convergent pour confirmer une homogénéité des pratiques alimentaires des communautés KA qui renforce la théorie d'une « forte identité culturelle » des communautés KA.
The ceramic fragments examined here come from the settlements of Kiketi, Medamgeis Gora, Kvatskhe... more The ceramic fragments examined here come from the settlements of Kiketi, Medamgeis Gora, Kvatskhelebi and Satkhe; the first two are located in the region of Kvemo Kartli, south-eastern Georgia; Kvatskhelebi, in the Shida Kartli region, is one of the few stratified Bronze Age sites in Georgia, and is thus one of the most important points of reference for Caucasian Anatolian archaeology. Satkhe, recently discovered, lies near the present-day Turkish-Georgian border. The four sites have all been dated between the end of the fourth millennium and the first half of the third millennium B.C. Samples were analysed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with microanalyses (SEM-EDS), and observation of thin sections at the mineralogical microscope for chemical, physical and mineralogical characterisation; Other research aims were also: to hypothesize firing temperature; for better understanding of the techniques used to create the colouring of the ceramic walls; an...
Eirini Skourtanioti, Yilmaz S. Erdal, Marcella Frangipane, Francesca Balossi Restelli, K. Aslıhan... more Eirini Skourtanioti, Yilmaz S. Erdal, Marcella Frangipane, Francesca Balossi Restelli, K. Aslıhan Yener, Frances Pinnock, Paolo Matthiae, Rana Özbal, Ulf-Dietrich Schoop, Farhad Guliyev, Tufan Akhundov, Bertille Lyonnet, Emily L. Hammer, Selin E. Nugent1, Marta Burri, Gunnar U. Neumann, Sandra Penske, Tara Ingman, Murat Akar, Rula Shafiq, Giulio Palumbi, Stefanie Eisenmann, Marta D’Andrea, Adam B. Rohrlach, Christina Warinner, Choongwon Jeong, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Wolfgang Haak, Johannes Krause
Pathways through Arslantepe Essays in Honour of Marcella Frangipane, 2020
To Marcella, "who still believes in culture, and in hard work, and in the history of humanity and... more To Marcella, "who still believes in culture, and in hard work, and in the history of humanity and who's in the field because she loves it….
The book compiles a portion of the contributions presented during the symposium "Urbanisation, co... more The book compiles a portion of the contributions presented during the symposium "Urbanisation, commerce, subsistence and production during the third millennium BC on the Iranian Plateau", which took place at the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée in Lyon, the 29-30 of April, 2014. The twenty papers assembled provide an overview of the recent archaeological research on this region of the Middle East during the Bronze Age. The socioeconomic transformation from rural villages to towns and nations has prompted many questions into this evolution of urbanisation. What was the impact of interactions between cultures in the Iranian Plateau and the surrounding regions (Mesopotamia, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Indus Valley)? What was the overall context during the Bronze Age on the Iranian Plateau? What was the extent and means of the expansion of the Kuro-Araxe culture? How did the Elamite Kingdom become established? What new knowledge has been contributed by the recent excavations and studies undertaken in the east of Iran? What was the influence of the Indus Valley culture, known as an epicentre of urbanisation in South Asia? What are the unique characteristics of the ancient cultures in Iran? While the urbanisation of early Mesopotamia has been the subject of much debate for several decades, this topic has only recently been raised in respect to the Iranian Plateau. This volume is the product of an international community from Iranian, European, and American institutions, consisting of recognised specialists in the archaeology of the Iranian Bronze Age. It provides an overview of the latest research, including abundant results from current ongoing excavations. The current state of archaeological research in Iran, comprising many dynamic questions and perspectives, is presented here in the form of original contributions on the first emergence of towns in the Near and Middle East. L' ouvrage rassemble une partie des contributions présentées lors du colloque « Urbanisation, commerce, subsistance et production au III e millénaire avant J.-C. sur le Plateau iranien » qui s' est tenu à la Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée à Lyon les 29 et 30 avril 2014. Les vingt articles réunis livrent un état récent de la recherche archéologique dans cette région du Moyen-Orient pour l' âge du Bronze. Le développement socio-économique entre le mode de vie rural et la formation des villes et des états soulève de nombreuses interrogations sur le processus de l'urbanisation. Quel est l'impact des relations culturelles entre le Plateau iranien et les régions adjacentes (Mésopotamie, Sud-Caucase, Asie centrale, vallée de l'Indus) ? Quel est le contexte global de l' âge du Bronze sur le Plateau Iranien ? Comment s' opère l' expansion de la culture Kuro-Araxe à partir du Caucase ? Comment le royaume élamite se met en place ? Quel est l' apport des fouilles et travaux récents dans l'Est iranien ? Quelle est l'influence de la vallée de l'Indus, un centre d'urbanisation important en Asie ? Comment se manifestent les singularités du monde iranien ? Alors que la thématique de l'urbanisation en Mésopotamie a été très débattue ces dernières décennies, cette question est abordée depuis peu pour le Plateau iranien. Le présent volume émane d'une communauté internationale d'archéologues d'institutions iraniennes, européennes et américaines, spécialistes reconnus de l' archéologie iranienne de l' âge du Bronze. Il dresse un panorama de l' état des recherches qui se nourrit amplement des travaux de terrain en cours. L' ouvrage rend compte de la dynamique actuelle de la recherche archéologique en Iran, riche de nouveaux questionnements et de nouvelles perspectives, et constitue un apport original à la réflexion sur l' émergence des villes au Moyen-Orient.
Here, we report genome-wide data analyses from 110 ancient Near Eastern individuals spanning the ... more Here, we report genome-wide data analyses from 110 ancient Near Eastern individuals spanning the Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age, a period characterized by intense interregional interactions for the Near East. We find that 6th millennium BCE populations of North/Central Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus shared mixed ancestry on a genetic cline that formed during the Neolithic between Western Anatolia and regions in today’s Southern Caucasus/Zagros. During the Late Chalcolithic and/or the Early Bronze Age, more than half of the Northern Levantine gene pool was replaced, while in the rest of Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus, we document genetic continuity with only transient gene flow. Additionally, we reveal a genetically distinct individual within the Late Bronze Age Northern Levant. Overall, our study uncovers multiple scales of population dynamics through time, from extensive admixture during the Neolithic period to long-distance mobility within the globalized societies of the Late Bronze Age.
The final publication of Level XVI at Mersin-Yumuktepe is the terminal step of a long-term projec... more The final publication of Level XVI at Mersin-Yumuktepe is the terminal step of a long-term project. The aim of this publication is to integrate the data obtained by J. Garstang during the excavations conducted at Mersin-Yumuktepe (1936-39 and 1946-47) and published in 1953 in the monograph "Prehistoric Mersin", with those produced during the excavations carried out from 1993 to 2004, under the direction of I. Caneva, for a comprehensive reconstruction of one of the most notorious levels of occupation at Yumuktepe. The long prehistoric occupational sequence reconstructed by Garstang, the first to have been established in the archaeology of Cilicia, quickly became one of the main references in the Near Eastern, Levantine and East Mediterranean archaeology. In this framework, the unique evidence represented by the "Citadel" of the Level XVI was often considered as a "hall-mark" of Yumuktepe and a recurring "topos" of the archaeological discourse dealing with the chalcolithic societies of the region. To confront with such a "giant" of the Near Eastern archaeology and with the heritage left by Garstang has not been an easy task. The integration of heterogeneous data produced in the frame of different practices, epistemologies and narratives of archaeology has required a long, continuous and sometimes quizzical process of interpolation and negotiation between past and present archaeological evidence aimed at a detailed and attentive reconstruction of the economic, social and cultural developments of the Early-Chalcolithic community at Yumuktepe.
Obsidian-tempered ceramics represent a typical production of the Chalcolithic period in the south... more Obsidian-tempered ceramics represent a typical production of the Chalcolithic period in the southern Caucasus. Previous studies have already assessed the viability of LA-ICP-MS analysis to identify the provenance of the obsidian temper contained in the ceramic paste. In this article the results of the analyses of the obsidian-tempered ceramics and of the obsidian lithic artefacts from the sites of Aratashen (Armenia) and Mentesh Tepe (Azerbaidjan) are compared. The aim of this comparison is to define analogies and differences in the modalities of acquisition of the obsidian as they are revealed by ceramic and lithic production at two sites that were localised at different distances from primary and secondary sources of obsidian. The results of this comparison allowed us to highlight different modalities of pro-visioning and exploitation of the same raw material by knappers and potters.
Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East Volume 3, 2014
Harrassowitz Verlag · Wiesbaden Cover illustration: Impression of a third millennium BC cylinder ... more Harrassowitz Verlag · Wiesbaden Cover illustration: Impression of a third millennium BC cylinder seal from Tell Arbid in Syria combined with the depiction of a mermaid -a motif from Warsaw's coat of arms. Designed by Łukasz Rutkowski.
At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial com... more At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial complex of period VIA, the following period VIB1 witnesses the flimsy architectural remains of wattle and daub huts associated with a ceramic culture clearly recalling the contemporary Kura-Araxes traditions of Eastern Anatolia and of the Southern Caucasus. The combination of architectural and zooarchaeological data suggest that period VIB1 represented the occupation by one or more specialised pastoral communities. Recent excavations at Arslantepe have brought to light an imposing mud-brick building (Building 36) dating to period VIB1. Building 36 rested on top of a large courtyard and of a monumental hall dating to the period VIA of the palace complex, thus highlighting a strong sense of continuity in terms of monumental architecture between phases VIA and VIB1. It was destroyed by a violent fire, burying a huge amount of materials in situ (83 ceramic vessels, metals and stone tools). A detailed reconstruction of the material assemblages and a thorough analysis of the functions of the building will constitute the main focus of this paper. This will ultimately shed light on the functions and political significance of this special building in the VIB1 settlement in the frame of ceremonial feastings that may have represented the new strategies enacted by the new Kura-Araxes oriented elites that emerged in the Malatya region, following the collapse of the Uruk-related centralised system.
Abstract The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus... more Abstract The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus between the very end of the 7th and the beginning of the 6th millennium BCE are still unclear and hotly debated. It is within this framework that the excavations at Kicik Tepe, in the middle Kura river valley of Western Azerbaijan, aim to offer new data and new perspectives on the complex interplay of environmental, social and cultural factors that contributed to this process. Excavations at Kicik Tepe uncovered two main phases of occupation consisting of circular buildings dating to the first centuries of the 6th millennium. Architectural remains allowed us to highlight an evolutionary architectural trajectory hinting at social and productive changes in the role and structure of the households. The subsistence strategies that rely on species domesticated elsewhere show at once a series of specificities highlighting adaptation to the local environment and the exploitation of wild species possibly resulting from previous Mesolithic practices. Simultaneously, while the almost aceramic way of life at Kicik Tepe outlines a local dialectic between Mesolithic and Neolithic cooking practices, lithic and macrolithic tools pinpoint broadly shared regional elements as well as very localised traits framed into both long and short distance contacts. As a whole the new evidence from Kicik Tepe highlights that the Neolithisation in the South Caucasus was not a straightforward process that consisted of the abrupt and homogenous adoption of an exogenous ‘package’ but most probably of a gradual and complex process of change resulting from dynamics of resistance and innovation between old and new socio-economic and cultural models.
The encounter of the communities of the Anatolian Upper Euphrates with the Kura-Araxes cultural t... more The encounter of the communities of the Anatolian Upper Euphrates with the Kura-Araxes cultural traditions was a long and complex process that cannot be reduced to the abrupt 'arrival' of migrant communities from East Anatolia or South Caucasus. The historical, political and cultural 'complexities' embedded in this encounter are best exemplified by the case of Period VIB1 at Arslantepe, in the Malatya plain (Eastern Turkey). We examine at first the 'structural' and historical premises of this encounter by examining the Late Chalcolithic evidence from Arslantepe Period VIA witnessing the construction of a monumental palatial complex and the formation of a strong political élite. We believe that the political and economic changes witnessed in Period VIA also generated a sector of specialised herders that could have taken part to a wider sphere of interaction with other communities living in the wider mountainous areas of Central and NorthEastern Anatolia. In the second part of the paper, we examine more thoroughly Period VIB1, which followed the destruction of the palatial complex of Period VIA and that marks the earliest appearance of Kura-Araxes cultural traits in the Malatya region. Period VIB1 witnesses the temporary and reiterated occupations of specialized herders. Though a series of traits of continuity link cultural traditions and husbandry strategies of the Period VIB1 herders with those of Period VIA, the strong Kura-Araxes related ceramic repertoire of the Period VIB1 herders'signals a growing interaction with the regions of East Anatolia and South Caucasus. We suggest that the mobility of these herders could have fostered dynamics of cultural encounter and assimilation of the Kura-Araxes traditions. In the final section, we present new ceramic evidence from Period VIB1. The post-firing incised ceramics from Period VIB1 find close analogies with those from East Anatolia and South Caucasus in Phase Kura-Araxes I. Does not only this evidence confirm direct contacts with the eastern Kura-Araxes communities but the contexts of retrieval of these ceramics at Arslantepe add new suggestions on the ceremonial way in which the encounters between specialised herders from Arslantepe and the Kura-Araxes communities from East Anatolia and South Caucasus might have taken place.
The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus between ... more The factors and dynamics that initiated the Neolithisation process in the South Caucasus between the very end of the 7th and the beginning of the 6th millennium BCE are still unclear and hotly debated. It is within this framework that the excavations at Kiçik Tepe, in the middle Kura river valley of Western Azerbaijan, aim to offer new data and new perspectives on the complex interplay of environmental, social and cultural factors that contributed to this process. Excavations at Kiçik Tepe uncovered two main phases of occupation consisting of circular buildings dating to the first centuries of the 6th millennium. Architectural remains allowed us to highlight an evolutionary architectural trajectory hinting at social and productive changes in the role and structure of the households. The subsistence strategies that rely on species domesticated elsewhere show at once a series of specificities highlighting adaptation to the local environment and the exploitation of wild species possibly resulting from previous Mesolithic practices. Simultaneously, while the almost aceramic way of life at Kiçik Tepe outlines a local dialectic between Mesolithic and Neolithic cooking practices, lithic and macrolithic tools pinpoint broadly shared regional elements as well as very localised traits framed into both long and short distance contacts. As a whole the new evidence from Kiçik Tepe highlights that the Neolithisation in the South Caucasus was not a straightforward process that consisted of the abrupt and homogenous adoption of an exogenous 'package' but most probably of a gradual and complex process of change resulting from dynamics of resistance and innovation between old and new socioeconomic and cultural models.
At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4 th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial co... more At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4 th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial complex of period VIA, the following period VIB1 witnesses the flimsy architectural remains of wattle and daub huts associated with a ceramic culture clearly recalling the contemporary Kura-Araxes traditions of Eastern Anatolia and of the Southern Caucasus. The combination of architectural and zooarchaeological data suggests that period VIB1 represented the occupation by one or more specialised pastoral communities. Recent excavations at Arslantepe have brought to light an imposing mud-brick building (Building 36) dating to period VIB1. Building 36 rested on top of a large courtyard and of a monumental hall dating to the period VIA of the palace complex, thus highlighting a strong sense of continuity in terms of monumental architecture between periods VIA and VIB1. It was destroyed by a violent fire, burying a huge amount of materials in situ (83 ceramic vessels, metals and stone tools). A detailed reconstruction of the material assemblages and a thorough analysis of the functions of the building will constitute the main focus of this paper. This will ultimately shed light on the functions and political significance of this special building in the VIB1 settlement in the frame of ceremonial feastings that may have represented the new strategies enacted by the new Kura-Araxes oriented elites that emerged in the Malatya region, following the collapse of the Uruk-related centralised system. Résumé : Vers la fin du 4 e millénaire av. J.-C., après la destruction du complexe palatial d'Arslantepe de la période VIA, on observe sur le site, dans la période qui suit (VIB1), les vestiges de huttes en torchis, associés à une culture céramique qui rappelle des traditions contemporaines du Kura-Araxe de l'Anatolie orientale et du Sud du Caucase. La combinaison des données architecturales et fauniques suggère que la période VIB1 d'Arslantepe pourrait être l'occupation d'une ou plusieurs communautés pastorales. Les fouilles récentes effectuées à Arslantepe ont mis au jour un grand bâtiment en brique crue (Bâtiment 36) datant de cette période. Ce bâtiment repose directement sur une grande cour et une salle monumentale du complexe palatial de la période VIA ; il souligne une continuité très soutenue dans l'architecture monumentale entre les deux périodes. Ce bâtiment fut détruit par un violent incendie qui a entraîné l'enfouissement d'une quantité considérable de mobilier in situ (83 vases en céramique, métaux et outils en pierre). Cet article met l'accent sur une reconstitution détaillée de tous les assemblages recueillis et sur une analyse de la fonction du bâtiment. Cette reconstitution a pour but de faire la lumière sur le rôle social et politique de ce bâtiment spécial dans le cadre de cérémonies et de repas collectifs qui ont pu représenter les stratégies politiques mises en place par les nouvelles élites influencées par le monde Kura-Araxe, élites qui « émergent » dans la région de Malatya à la suite de l'effondrement d'un système centralisé, dérivé du monde urukéen.
Food and its interactions with the environmental, economic, social, and cultural spheres play an ... more Food and its interactions with the environmental, economic, social, and cultural spheres play an essential role in communities' cultural identity. This theory has been verified by an analysis of the Kura-Araxes (KA) culture, characterised by original cultural developments, which spread in the South Caucasus around the middle of the fourth millennium BC. This research aims to study the variability of dietary choices at the individual and population levels by analysing stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ 13 C, δ 15 N). To monitor regional and diachronic changes in dietary patterns, we performed analysis on human, animal, and plant materials (n = 144) from eight KA highland and lowland sites in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia compared with data (n = 39) from Post-KA sites already published (Herrscher et al. 2016, 2018b). Isotopic data show no significant differences with altitude. The KA diet is characterised by higher consumption of herbivore meat than pork and higher barley consumption than wheat. No relationship with age at death, sex, and burial traits were observed, suggesting "equal" access to food among community members. Human low isotope variability shows persistence over KA's entire duration (3,500-2,500 BC), while it is significantly different between KA and Post-KA subjects. The results confirm the homogeneity of KA communities' food practices that reinforces the theory of a "strong cultural identity" of the KA populations. Résumé. L'alimentation et l'ensemble des interactions qu'elle entretient avec les sphères environnementale, économique, sociale et culturelle jouent un rôle important dans l'identité culturelle des communautés. Cette théorie a été vérifiée par une analyse de la culture Kuro-Araxe (KA), caractérisée par des développements culturels originaux, qui s'est répandue dans le Caucase du Sud vers le milieu du quatrième millénaire avant notre ère. Cette recherche vise à étudier la variabilité des choix alimentaires, aux niveaux individuel et populationnel, par l'analyse des isotopes stables du carbone et de l'azote (δ 13 C, δ 15 N). Afin de suivre les changements régionaux et diachroniques des modes alimentaires, des analyses ont été réalisées sur des matériaux humains, animaux et végétaux (n = 144) provenant de sites d'altitudes différentes, huit en Géorgie, deux en Arménie et un en Azerbaïdjan et comparées à des données (n = 39) provenant de 4 sites Post KA de la région déjà publiées (Herrscher et al. 2016, 2018b) Les données isotopiques ne montrent aucun changement significatif avec l'altitude. L'alimentation KA se caractérise par une plus grande consommation de viande d'herbivore que de porc et une plus grande consommation d'orge que de blé. Aucune relation avec l'âge au décès, le sexe et les traits funéraires n'a été observée, ce qui suggère un accès « égal » à la nourriture entre les membres des communautés. La variabilité isotopique humaine montre une persistance sur toute la durée du KA (3500-2500 avant J.-C.), tandis qu'elle est significativement différente entre les sujets KA et Post KA. Les résultats convergent pour confirmer une homogénéité des pratiques alimentaires des communautés KA qui renforce la théorie d'une « forte identité culturelle » des communautés KA.
The ceramic fragments examined here come from the settlements of Kiketi, Medamgeis Gora, Kvatskhe... more The ceramic fragments examined here come from the settlements of Kiketi, Medamgeis Gora, Kvatskhelebi and Satkhe; the first two are located in the region of Kvemo Kartli, south-eastern Georgia; Kvatskhelebi, in the Shida Kartli region, is one of the few stratified Bronze Age sites in Georgia, and is thus one of the most important points of reference for Caucasian Anatolian archaeology. Satkhe, recently discovered, lies near the present-day Turkish-Georgian border. The four sites have all been dated between the end of the fourth millennium and the first half of the third millennium B.C. Samples were analysed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with microanalyses (SEM-EDS), and observation of thin sections at the mineralogical microscope for chemical, physical and mineralogical characterisation; Other research aims were also: to hypothesize firing temperature; for better understanding of the techniques used to create the colouring of the ceramic walls; an...
Eirini Skourtanioti, Yilmaz S. Erdal, Marcella Frangipane, Francesca Balossi Restelli, K. Aslıhan... more Eirini Skourtanioti, Yilmaz S. Erdal, Marcella Frangipane, Francesca Balossi Restelli, K. Aslıhan Yener, Frances Pinnock, Paolo Matthiae, Rana Özbal, Ulf-Dietrich Schoop, Farhad Guliyev, Tufan Akhundov, Bertille Lyonnet, Emily L. Hammer, Selin E. Nugent1, Marta Burri, Gunnar U. Neumann, Sandra Penske, Tara Ingman, Murat Akar, Rula Shafiq, Giulio Palumbi, Stefanie Eisenmann, Marta D’Andrea, Adam B. Rohrlach, Christina Warinner, Choongwon Jeong, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Wolfgang Haak, Johannes Krause
Pathways through Arslantepe Essays in Honour of Marcella Frangipane, 2020
To Marcella, "who still believes in culture, and in hard work, and in the history of humanity and... more To Marcella, "who still believes in culture, and in hard work, and in the history of humanity and who's in the field because she loves it….
The book compiles a portion of the contributions presented during the symposium "Urbanisation, co... more The book compiles a portion of the contributions presented during the symposium "Urbanisation, commerce, subsistence and production during the third millennium BC on the Iranian Plateau", which took place at the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée in Lyon, the 29-30 of April, 2014. The twenty papers assembled provide an overview of the recent archaeological research on this region of the Middle East during the Bronze Age. The socioeconomic transformation from rural villages to towns and nations has prompted many questions into this evolution of urbanisation. What was the impact of interactions between cultures in the Iranian Plateau and the surrounding regions (Mesopotamia, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Indus Valley)? What was the overall context during the Bronze Age on the Iranian Plateau? What was the extent and means of the expansion of the Kuro-Araxe culture? How did the Elamite Kingdom become established? What new knowledge has been contributed by the recent excavations and studies undertaken in the east of Iran? What was the influence of the Indus Valley culture, known as an epicentre of urbanisation in South Asia? What are the unique characteristics of the ancient cultures in Iran? While the urbanisation of early Mesopotamia has been the subject of much debate for several decades, this topic has only recently been raised in respect to the Iranian Plateau. This volume is the product of an international community from Iranian, European, and American institutions, consisting of recognised specialists in the archaeology of the Iranian Bronze Age. It provides an overview of the latest research, including abundant results from current ongoing excavations. The current state of archaeological research in Iran, comprising many dynamic questions and perspectives, is presented here in the form of original contributions on the first emergence of towns in the Near and Middle East. L' ouvrage rassemble une partie des contributions présentées lors du colloque « Urbanisation, commerce, subsistance et production au III e millénaire avant J.-C. sur le Plateau iranien » qui s' est tenu à la Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée à Lyon les 29 et 30 avril 2014. Les vingt articles réunis livrent un état récent de la recherche archéologique dans cette région du Moyen-Orient pour l' âge du Bronze. Le développement socio-économique entre le mode de vie rural et la formation des villes et des états soulève de nombreuses interrogations sur le processus de l'urbanisation. Quel est l'impact des relations culturelles entre le Plateau iranien et les régions adjacentes (Mésopotamie, Sud-Caucase, Asie centrale, vallée de l'Indus) ? Quel est le contexte global de l' âge du Bronze sur le Plateau Iranien ? Comment s' opère l' expansion de la culture Kuro-Araxe à partir du Caucase ? Comment le royaume élamite se met en place ? Quel est l' apport des fouilles et travaux récents dans l'Est iranien ? Quelle est l'influence de la vallée de l'Indus, un centre d'urbanisation important en Asie ? Comment se manifestent les singularités du monde iranien ? Alors que la thématique de l'urbanisation en Mésopotamie a été très débattue ces dernières décennies, cette question est abordée depuis peu pour le Plateau iranien. Le présent volume émane d'une communauté internationale d'archéologues d'institutions iraniennes, européennes et américaines, spécialistes reconnus de l' archéologie iranienne de l' âge du Bronze. Il dresse un panorama de l' état des recherches qui se nourrit amplement des travaux de terrain en cours. L' ouvrage rend compte de la dynamique actuelle de la recherche archéologique en Iran, riche de nouveaux questionnements et de nouvelles perspectives, et constitue un apport original à la réflexion sur l' émergence des villes au Moyen-Orient.
Here, we report genome-wide data analyses from 110 ancient Near Eastern individuals spanning the ... more Here, we report genome-wide data analyses from 110 ancient Near Eastern individuals spanning the Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age, a period characterized by intense interregional interactions for the Near East. We find that 6th millennium BCE populations of North/Central Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus shared mixed ancestry on a genetic cline that formed during the Neolithic between Western Anatolia and regions in today’s Southern Caucasus/Zagros. During the Late Chalcolithic and/or the Early Bronze Age, more than half of the Northern Levantine gene pool was replaced, while in the rest of Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus, we document genetic continuity with only transient gene flow. Additionally, we reveal a genetically distinct individual within the Late Bronze Age Northern Levant. Overall, our study uncovers multiple scales of population dynamics through time, from extensive admixture during the Neolithic period to long-distance mobility within the globalized societies of the Late Bronze Age.
The final publication of Level XVI at Mersin-Yumuktepe is the terminal step of a long-term projec... more The final publication of Level XVI at Mersin-Yumuktepe is the terminal step of a long-term project. The aim of this publication is to integrate the data obtained by J. Garstang during the excavations conducted at Mersin-Yumuktepe (1936-39 and 1946-47) and published in 1953 in the monograph "Prehistoric Mersin", with those produced during the excavations carried out from 1993 to 2004, under the direction of I. Caneva, for a comprehensive reconstruction of one of the most notorious levels of occupation at Yumuktepe. The long prehistoric occupational sequence reconstructed by Garstang, the first to have been established in the archaeology of Cilicia, quickly became one of the main references in the Near Eastern, Levantine and East Mediterranean archaeology. In this framework, the unique evidence represented by the "Citadel" of the Level XVI was often considered as a "hall-mark" of Yumuktepe and a recurring "topos" of the archaeological discourse dealing with the chalcolithic societies of the region. To confront with such a "giant" of the Near Eastern archaeology and with the heritage left by Garstang has not been an easy task. The integration of heterogeneous data produced in the frame of different practices, epistemologies and narratives of archaeology has required a long, continuous and sometimes quizzical process of interpolation and negotiation between past and present archaeological evidence aimed at a detailed and attentive reconstruction of the economic, social and cultural developments of the Early-Chalcolithic community at Yumuktepe.
Obsidian-tempered ceramics represent a typical production of the Chalcolithic period in the south... more Obsidian-tempered ceramics represent a typical production of the Chalcolithic period in the southern Caucasus. Previous studies have already assessed the viability of LA-ICP-MS analysis to identify the provenance of the obsidian temper contained in the ceramic paste. In this article the results of the analyses of the obsidian-tempered ceramics and of the obsidian lithic artefacts from the sites of Aratashen (Armenia) and Mentesh Tepe (Azerbaidjan) are compared. The aim of this comparison is to define analogies and differences in the modalities of acquisition of the obsidian as they are revealed by ceramic and lithic production at two sites that were localised at different distances from primary and secondary sources of obsidian. The results of this comparison allowed us to highlight different modalities of pro-visioning and exploitation of the same raw material by knappers and potters.
Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East Volume 3, 2014
Harrassowitz Verlag · Wiesbaden Cover illustration: Impression of a third millennium BC cylinder ... more Harrassowitz Verlag · Wiesbaden Cover illustration: Impression of a third millennium BC cylinder seal from Tell Arbid in Syria combined with the depiction of a mermaid -a motif from Warsaw's coat of arms. Designed by Łukasz Rutkowski.
At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial com... more At Arslantepe towards the end of the 4th millennium BC, after the destruction of the palatial complex of period VIA, the following period VIB1 witnesses the flimsy architectural remains of wattle and daub huts associated with a ceramic culture clearly recalling the contemporary Kura-Araxes traditions of Eastern Anatolia and of the Southern Caucasus. The combination of architectural and zooarchaeological data suggest that period VIB1 represented the occupation by one or more specialised pastoral communities. Recent excavations at Arslantepe have brought to light an imposing mud-brick building (Building 36) dating to period VIB1. Building 36 rested on top of a large courtyard and of a monumental hall dating to the period VIA of the palace complex, thus highlighting a strong sense of continuity in terms of monumental architecture between phases VIA and VIB1. It was destroyed by a violent fire, burying a huge amount of materials in situ (83 ceramic vessels, metals and stone tools). A detailed reconstruction of the material assemblages and a thorough analysis of the functions of the building will constitute the main focus of this paper. This will ultimately shed light on the functions and political significance of this special building in the VIB1 settlement in the frame of ceremonial feastings that may have represented the new strategies enacted by the new Kura-Araxes oriented elites that emerged in the Malatya region, following the collapse of the Uruk-related centralised system.
The tradition of burying the dead in burial mounds (kurgans), usually consisting of a funerary ch... more The tradition of burying the dead in burial mounds (kurgans), usually consisting of a funerary chamber limited by stone or brick slabs and covered by dirt and gravel, started in the fourth millennium BCE in the northern Caucasus and then spread south to the rest of the Caucasus regions, eastern Anatolia and northwestern Iran during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. The spread of the kurgan tradition, as well as the territorial, political, social, and cultural values embedded in their construction and their symbolic relation to the surrounding landscape are under debate. The workshop aims to examine chronological issues, cultural dynamics at interregional scale, rituals and burial patterns related to these funerary structures. The beliefs and ideologies that possibly connected the "kurgan people" over such a wide geographical area, as well as past and present theoretical frameworks, will also be discussed.
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Firenze (ITALY) - 29/30 March 2018 Ex-Church of San Jacopo Via Faenza 43
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