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The circulation and consumption of Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware: petrographic, chemical and residue analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Carl Knappett
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
Vassilis Kilikoglou
Affiliation:
National Centre for Scientific Research, Athens
Val Steele
Affiliation:
University of Bradford
Ben Stern
Affiliation:
University of Bradford

Abstract

Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware is one of the most recognisable classes of pottery from the Late Bronze Age of the east Mediterranean. Yet both its production source and the nature of its contents and use remain a source of some debate. These questions are tackled here through an intensive programme of scientific analysis involving 95 samples of Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware and related wares from seven sites in Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt. Petrography and instrumental neutron activation analysis are combined in the study of the ceramic fabrics, with a view to specifying the source of this ware; while gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry are used to analyse absorbed and visible residues in and on the sherd samples, in the hope of shedding light on vessel contents and possible use. The results of the fabric analysis show the ware to be extremely homogeneous, indicative of a single source: northern Cyprus is at present the most likely candidate, although further analysis, particularly of clay samples from the region in question, would certainly be desirable. The residue analysis suggests that Red Lustrous Wheelmade ware might have been used to carry some kind of plant oils, possibly perfumed, and that in some instances the vessel interior was coated with beeswax as a sealant.

Özet

Çarkta yapılmış Kırmızı Parlak Keramik mal grubu (Red Lustrous) Doğu Akdeniz'de Geç Tunç Çaği'na ait en čok tanınan keramik sınıflarından birini oluşturmaktadır. Yine de üretim kaynağı, kapsamımın özelliği ve kullanımı tartişma konusu olarak devamlılığını korumuştur. Bu sorular burada yoğun bir bilimsel analiz programı çerçevesinde ele alınmış, 95 adet çarkta yapılmış Kırmızı Parlak Keramik mal grubu (Red Lustrous) ve bu mal grubuyla bağlantılı keramiklerin ele geçtiği Kıbrıs, Mısır ve Türkiye'den 7 yerleşim alanı bu çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Bu mal grubunun hangi kaynağa ait olduğunu belirlemek amacı ile petrografi (kayaları sınıflandırma) ve enstrümantal nötron etkinleştirme analizleri keramik dokusu çalışmasında birleştirilmiştir. Ayrıca kapların ne maksatla kullanılmış olabileceğini ve içlerinde neleri bulundur duklarına da açıklık getirmek amacı ile örnek keramik parçalarının yüzeyinde ve içinde emilmiş ya da görünür durumda olan artıkların analizi için gaz kromatografisi ve gaz kromatografisi-kitle spektrometrisi kullanılmıştır. Doku analizinin sonuçları keramik mal grubunun son derece homojen olduğunu göstermekte ve tek bir kaynağa işaret etmektedir: Kuzey Kıbrıs bugün için en olası aday olmakla beraber özellikle konu ile ilgili bölgeye ait kil örneklerinin analizi kesinlikle gereklilik göstermektedir. Ele geçen artıkların analizi, çarkta yapılmış Kırmızı Parlak mal grubunun (Red Lustrous) muhtemelen kokulu olan bazı bitkisel yağların taşınmasında kullanıldığını ve bazı durumlarda kapların içinin tecrit macunu vazifesi gören balmumu ile sıvandığını işaret etmektedir.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The British Institute at Ankara 2005

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