The bituminous mixtures of Kavu?an H?yük (SE Turkey) from the end of the 3rd millennium (2000BC) to the Medieval period (AD 14th century): Composition and origin

摘要

Bituminous mixtures were observed on potsherds at Kavu?an H?yük, one of the rescue excavations along the Upper Tigris River in southeastern Turkey. Analysis of 26 samples from six periods spanning from the end of the 3rd millennium BC to the Medieval period (AD 14th century), has shown that bituminous mixtures possess the classical gross composition of most bitumen-bearing mixtures analysed in many archaeological sites of the Near East and the Gulf of Arabia. To search for the geological sources of bitumen, oil seeps, oil stained rocks and crude oils from Turkey and Northern Iraq were analysed as reference using the same geochemical tools: biomarkers and stable isotope composition. The principal conclusion is that the bitumen has been imported from the Eruh outcrop, 120. km east of Kavu?an H?yük. Additionally, the bitumen from Eruh was imported to Kavu?an over a long time period, from the end of the 3rd millennium BC to the AD 14th century.