Centralisation or Regional Identity in the Halaf Period? Examining Interactions within Fine Painted Ware Production

摘要

A total of 101 fine ware potsherds and 10 coarse ware sherds from four Late Neolithic Halaf sites (Domuztepe, Tell Halaf, Chagar Bazar and Arpachiyah) was studied by thin sectioning. Of these, 42 were also analysed by SEM-EDX. In thin section, several different fabrics, characterised by similar minerals, were identified at each site, showing the use of different clay sources and a similar formula to produce the fine ware. Chemical analyses used in combination with PCA and CDA show that the potters at the sites of Domuztepe and Tell Halaf used distinct clay sources for their pottery production. In contrast, chemical and mineralogical similarities were identified in the fi ne painted ceramics from Chagar Bazar and Arpachiyah, indicating possible exchange networks of fine ware.