Late Bronze Age Pottery Research Articles

The Use of 3D Scanning and 3D Color Printing Technologies for the Study and Documentation of Late Bronze Age Pottery from East-Central Greece

The Use of 3D Scanning and 3D Color Printing Technologies for the Study and Documentation of Late Bronze Age Pottery from East-Central Greece

Petrographic studies of Late Bronze Age pottery from Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus

Petrographic analysis of ceramics allows for the high-resolution distinction between locally-produced ceramics and imports and provides a more comprehensive understanding of ancient production and exchange patterns. This paper analyses Cypriot-produced tablewares of the Late Bronze Age at Hala Sultan Tekke, a major trading hub in the eastern Mediterranean, focusing on the transition from Late Cypriot (LC) IIC to LC IIIA (c. 13th to mid-12th century BCE). In this study, a wide range of tablewares were analysed, with a particular focus on Cypriot-produced plain ware (Plain White Hand- and Wheel-Made; PWHM/PWWM) and painted wheel-made fineware (White Painted Wheel-Made Ware; WPWM), using petrography to determine their mineralogical composition, production technique, and provenance. In addition, reference samples were collected and experimentally fired to identify potential raw materials in the Circum-Troodos Sedimentary Succession region, with additional basaltic soil samples collected from the slopes of the Troodos.The results show that there was a local production at Hala Sultan Tekke of Aegean-type painted and unpainted finewares in LC IIC. The adaptation of Aegean technologies, shapes and decoration patterns, sometimes in combination with traditional Cypriot characteristics, became prevalent in the local production of tableware in LC IIIA until the city was abandoned around the mid-12th century BCE. Evidence for coastal imports, e.g. from the wider Larnaca Bay region, the Famagusta Bay and western Cyprus, particularly painted wheel-made fineware bowls from LC IIIA, reveal new economic patterns and supply chains that emerged after the decline of interregional trade in the eastern Mediterranean around 1200 BCE.

Vėlyvojo bronzos amžiaus ekonomika rytų Baltijos regione: naujo modelio link

In this paper, we present the main results of interdisciplinary project that allowed us to formulate a new perspective on the economy of the Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Baltic region. New excavations at the Late Bronze Age fortified settlements of Garniai 1 (Utena district municipality) and Mineikiškės (Zarasai district municipality) lead us to analyse the economy of the communities in much greater detail and to formulate a more reliable economical model than before. This paper reviews the new results of archaeobotanical investigations of these fortified settlements, as well as δ13C and δ15N data of food remains in Late Bronze Age pottery, grains and animal bone collagen samples. These analyses allowed us to refine and clarify the likely dietary practices of consumers of certain products in the Eastern Baltic region. The paper also publishes new data on the elemental composition and lead isotopes of metalware, thereby adding to our earlier findings These studies show that metallurgy as a specialized activity did not play a significant role in the Late Bronze Age economy, but its emergence was driven by the economic changes of the period. In contrast, the production of high-level bone-antler artifacts reflects the activity of specialized craftsmen in Late Bronze Age settlements. The collection of a new large and varied dataset allows us to determine the lifestyle and dietary habits of the people living in these settlements. By developing a new model of the Late Bronze Age, we present a picture of the interwoven economies of agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, gathering, metallurgy and bone craftsmanship as a whole, asking what might have influenced the distinctive development of the economy of the eastern Baltic Sea region during the Late Bronze Age.

Late Bronze Age Pot Marks From Thyateira – Hastane Höyüğü

Various hypotheses have been formulated to explain the function and meaning of pre-post firing marks in the Late Bronze Age Anatolia. Known as "pot marks," these signs have been prominently associated with the administrative systems–central authorities or viewed as an indicator of asymmetric interregional economic relations. However, these interpretations are not suitable for Western Anatolia due to the limited number of pot marks found in a few settlements, the distinctive qualities of pottery tradition in the region, and the lack of institutionalized interregional economic connections. This article presents the first examples of pot marks found in Akhisar-Hastane Höyük/Central West Anatolia with preliminary observations on the Late Bronze Age pottery groups. It emphasizes the ambiguous nature of pot marks, their typological similarities, and differences among non-regional parallels and suggests that their appearances in the Western Anatolian LBA settlements should be considered as singular cases for now.

Re-identification of plant impressions on prehistoric pottery from Ukraine

In this paper, we report newly obtained data on cereals from the Neolithic to Bronze Age from the northern side of the Black Sea. One part of the North Pontic area, located within present-day Ukraine, is one of the focal points of discussions on the agricultural dispersal between West and East Eurasia; however, existing reliable cereal data are scarce. In this study, we employed an improved silicone casting method to obtain impressions from pottery artifacts and conducted a survey of more than 30,000 pottery samples from different times. Observations of seed surface texture using scanning electron microscopy further improved the identification accuracy. The results showed no reliable cereal impressions in Ukrainian sub-Neolithic pottery, despite the predicted exceptionally early start of arable agriculture prior to the 6th millennium BC. In contrast, in Linear Band and Eneolithic pottery, cereals originating from West Asia were identified, although Chinese millet was absent. Meanwhile, abundant Panicum miliaceum impressions appeared abruptly with incidental barley and wheat in Late Bronze Age pottery. The Chinese millet species Setaria italica, which is clearly distinguishable from P. miliaceum using our method, was not identified. The archaeobotanical dataset obtained in this survey is an important achievement in examining food globalization that crossed the east and west of Eurasia.

Compound-specific radiocarbon dating of lipid residues in pottery vessels: A new approach for detecting the exploitation of marine resources

Over the last three decades, organic residue analysis has been shown to be especially useful in ancient diet reconstruction; however, it is only recently that the direct radiocarbon dating of lipid residues has become a reliable method for dating pottery vessels and food procurement activities. Here, we applied lipid residue analysis to 29 late Bronze Age pottery vessels from the site of Cliffs End Farm (UK), previously dated by their visible charred residues (carbonised food crusts) and dated four of these vessels by compound-specific radiocarbon analysis (CSRA) of their absorbed lipids. Lipid biomarker detection was limited to only one class of biomarker in four vessels, which indicated that the diet relied mainly on terrestrial animals. Four vessels datable from their absorbed lipids produced 14C measurements significantly older than the published results on the charred residues, suggesting a reservoir effect affecting the dated lipids. Furthermore, the low abundance of pig remains (1–4%) at the site suggests that enriched δ13C16:0 and δ13C18:0 values recorded on the absorbed fatty acids were caused by marine rather than porcine contributions. The percentage of marine products in the CSRA dated vessels was quantified using the δ13C values of individual fatty acids and values from a modern reference database. These percentages of marine products were incorporated in mixed-source radiocarbon calibration using OxCal for the correction of a marine reservoir effect (MRE). Therefore, the combination of lipid compositions, radiocarbon dates and faunal analyses enabled the identification of marine product exploitation at the site. Finally, this allowed the application of MRE corrections to the radiocarbon dates obtained, and comparisons to be made with those of charred residues obtained from the same sherds.

Chapter Three: Preliminary Report on the Late Bronze Age Pottery from Ancient Eleon

This contribution presents an overview of the Late Bronze Age pottery discovered in the excavations at ancient Eleon from 2011 to 2015. Although Early Mycenaean and Palatial period deposits have been recovered from the settlement, the majority of the pottery can be assigned to the Postpalatial or LH IIIC period. After presenting the deposits stratigraphically and contextually by area, we collate the diagnostic features of five subphases spanning LH IIIB2 Late to LH IIIC Middle and discuss their local significance.

Insights into the production technology of the Late Bronze Age pottery identified at Topolița (Neamț County)

The aim of this paper is to identify the technological features of the Late Bronze Age ceramic assemblage discovered at Topolița (Neamț County). The archaeological site is located in the Subcarpathian area of the eastern Romania and was assigned based on the typological features of the ceramic artefacts to the Noua culture (second half of the 16th century to the 12th century BC). The dataset investigated in this study consists in 30 samples, selected to represent the stylistic and functional variability detected at the site. For assessing the various stages of the chaîne opératoire (raw materials selection, paste preparation, manufacturing procedures, surface finishing and firing conditions), the pottery samples were studied by means of an integrated analytical approach combining macroscopic observation with petrographical and mineralogical investigations performed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). This study revealed various aspects of the pottery production and emphasized a rather conservative behaviour in terms of raw materials selection combined with a significant degree of variability in the processing and finishing sequences. Besides, the technological analysis of the ceramic assemblage discovered at Topolița in terms of chaîne opératoire provided qualitative data to reconstruct technological features that corresponds to networks of socially linked object-makers.

The Late Bronze Age Pottery in the South-Eastern Carpathian Basin

The Late Bronze Age Pottery in the South-Eastern Carpathian Basin

Late bronze age pottery as indicator of the deposition temperatures of the Minoan pyroclastic products, Santorini, Greece.

The Minoan eruption of Santorini volcano (Greece) took place in the Late Bronze Age (17th century BC) and produced a great volume of volcanic products that covered the whole island and buried every human settlement under meters of pyroclastic deposits. In this study we used thermal analysis of the magnetic remanence carried by pottery fragments buried under the pyroclastic deposits in order to estimate the thermal effect of the Minoan volcanic products on the pre-eruption habitation level. A total of 70 samples, prepared from 45 independent pottery fragments, have been studied. Samples were collected from three different sites, situated at the southern part of the island. Stepwise thermal demagnetizations reveal that the pottery fragments generally carry a two-component remanent magnetization. Interpretation of the demagnetization results using the normalised intensity decay curves and the orthogonal projection diagrams indicates that most samples were re-heated at temperatures around 160-260o C. The obtained results represent the equilibrium temperatures reached after the deposition of the pyroclastic fall and show that the pyroclastic fall deposits at distances around 6 to 9 km from the eruption vent were still hot enough to reheat the buried pottery at such temperatures.

A Burning Issue: Firing Temperatures and the Production of Late Bronze Age Pottery from Tarsus-Gözlükule, Turkey

Although ceramic pyrotechnology is a critical component of pottery production, archaeometric studies rarely integrate firing practices into discussions of the organization of pottery manufacture. The primary obstacles to such studies are the limited range and accuracy of many analytical methods, small sample populations, and observed variation within a single firing. We posit in this study that a robust sampling strategy paired with magnetic susceptibility, which has been shown to be an accurate means of estimating maximum firing temperatures, can identify patterns in ceramic pyrotechnology explainable in terms of production strategy. In our case study we analyze Late Bronze IIA pottery from Tarsus-Gözlükule in southern Turkey. The data indicate that the potters consistently fired their pottery to two different maximum temperatures. It is suggested that these two maximum temperatures may have been the result of either the use of two different firing structures or the seasonal exploitation of different fuels.

Tarsus-Gözlüküle Höyüğü Geç Tunç IIB Katmanında Rastlanan Seramik Devamlılıkları

The period extending from the end of the Bronze to the Iron Age is one of the most discussed in the East Mediterranean, marked by the collapse of re­gional powers, a shift from urban and centralized or­gan­i­za­tion to a more rural one, migrations, and an over­all heterogeneity in material culture. However, in the last three decades many new excavations in the region and the re-evaluation of past excavations has confirmed that the narrative of this period is more nuanced. This article investigates the local pottery tradi­tion of Tarsus-Gozlukule in the Cilician Plain during the Late Bronze Age IIb Period. This settlement is at an important cross-roads linking the Syro-Anato­lian world with Central Anatolia and to maritime trade routes opening into the Mediterranean. Both continui­ties and divergences from the earlier Late Bronze Age pottery traditions of this settlement are studied, with the aim of understanding the reconfigura­tions of various networks during this period, tumultu­ous for the entire eastern Mediterra­nean region. The results indicate that this is a period of both instability and continuity eventu­ally taking the different regions in their distinc­tive trajectories, each determined by a wide variety of var­ia­bles, the combina­tion of these variables being specific to each region.

Petrographic and chemical characterization of Bronze Age pottery from the settlement of Mount San Paolillo (Catania, Italy)

The excavations at Mount San Paolillo (Catania, Italy) led to the discovery of a Prehistoric site that still represents the most important evidence of Middle and Late Bronze Age settlement in this area. During the excavations, archeologists located a hut, a store for ceramic storage vessels, and a pottery workshop, all of which provided a large quantity of heterogeneous ceramics with apparent typological parallels in other areas of Sicily, such as Syracuse, Augusta, and Messina. A large number of specimens were selected in order to cover all the macroscopic types and the main classes. The results identified four petrographic fabrics. Most of the ceramics are characterized by abundant tempers consisting of volcanic rock fragments and occasionally of grog. Only a few samples contained common fine-grained quartz. The groundmass ranges from non-micaceous to very micaceous. In some cases, there is evidence of mixed clays. Analysis of the chemical composition of the ceramics revealed the existence of two groups with low and high CaO contents. The high Fe2O3 content (more than 8.7 wt%) is probably due to the use of temper from altered pyroclastic rocks which are of local provenance as SEM-EDX data suggest, even if petrographic and chemical results suggest that different raw materials may have been used. The data provided by these archeometric analyses have made a significant contribution to the study of Middle and Late Bronze Age pottery from the Catania area, by offering insights into the methods, production processes, and high technical level of the prehistoric craftsmen.

Late Bronze Age Pottery Production: Evidence from a 12th–11th century calbcSettlement at Tinney's Lane, Sherborne, Dorset

Excavations at Tinney's Lane, Sherborne in 2002 uncovered extensive evidence for Late Bronze Age settlement and pottery production, dating from a short time period probably within the 12th or 11th century calbc. Well-preserved deposits of burnt stone, broken vessels, and burnt sherds, together with resulting debris redeposited in associated pits, were accompanied by a series of post-hole structures interpreted as round-houses and four-post settings. Environmental evidence in the form of charcoal, charred plant remains, and molluscs has provided important information concerning sources of fuel and water for pottery production as well as allowing a reconstruction of the local vegetation. Finds of fired clay, metal, stone, shale, flint, and bone include items from distant sources, informing topics such as site status and exchange, and include many categories of tools and equipment that would have been used within the pottery-making processes. Analysis of the spatial distribution of these finds amongst the structures and surviving layers of burning has allowed the definition of a series of industrial activity areas, each comprising one or more round-houses, a four-post structure, bonfire bases or pits used for firing, and other pits with specific related functions. Altogether the site has provided some of the best evidence for pottery production within prehistoric Britain.

Bronzealderens kulthuse i Thy – Anlæg med relation til gravkulten

Bronzealderens kulthuse i Thy – Anlæg med relation til gravkulten

An Old Assyrian Cylinder Seal from al-Moghraqa, Gaza

A cylinder seal was found at al-Moghraqa, Gaza in the excavations during the year 2000 (Fig. 1).2 It was found in the upper 20 cm. of fill in a large pit, together with Middle and Late Bronze Age pottery and much bone. The pit (excavation not complete) is very probably contaminated by overlying later material. However, the seal does not rely on context for its date, as it can be closely dated on the basis of style.

Kommos III: The Late Bronze Age Pottery. By L. V. Watrous.

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsKommos III: The Late Bronze Age Pottery. By L. V. Watrous.Mervyn PophamMervyn Popham Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 98, Number 4October 1994 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/506560 Copyright © 1994 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Traders and craftsmen in the central Mediterranean: archaeological evidence and archaeometric research (an addendum)

This addendum presents the tables of the chemical compositions of Late Bronze Age pottery that were omitted from the authors' paper with the same title, published in 1991 in the Proceedings of the Conference on Bronze Age Trade in the Mediterranean (Oxford 1989). In addition, a short description and bibliography is provided for those sites in Italy, Sardinia, and Sicily from which the pottery was analysed.

A Late Bronze Age Riverside Settlement at Wallingford, Oxfordshire

The investigation of a Late Bronze Age occupation layer on the banks of the Thames below Wallingford, on a number of occasions since 1949, has yielded an assemblage of Late Bronze Age pottery, flints, small finds including metalwork, and animal bones. The environment of the site, and the sequence of alluviation, have been elucidated by molluscan analysis.The precise character of the settlement is unknown, but it can be compared with other British later Bronze Age settlements in respect of both its riverside location and the presence of a ‘midden’ deposit. The site bears directly on the question of riverine finds of Bronze Age metalwork; it is concluded that settlement erosion does not account for much of this material. The site is one of the few Late Bronze Age settlements to have been indentified in the Upper Thames Valley, and represents an early phase in the Iron Age settlement sequence of this area.

The Late Bronze Age Pottery Tradition at Tell Hadidi, Syria

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Late Bronze Age Pottery Tradition at Tell Hadidi, SyriaRudolph H. DornemannRudolph H. Dornemann Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research Volume 241Winter 1981 A journal of the American Schools of Oriental Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/1356709 Views: 12Total views on this site Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Journal History This article was published in the Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research (1921-2021), which is continued by the Bulletin of the American Schools of Overseas Research (2022-present). Copyright 1982 The American Schools of Oriental ResearchPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article: Ayelet Gilboa , Ilan Sharon , and Jeffrey R. Zorn An Iron Age I Canaanite/Phoenician Courtyard House at Tel Dor: A Comparative Architectural and Functional Analysis, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 372 (Nov 2018): 39–80.https://doi.org/10.5615/bullamerschoorie.372.0039