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The petrographic analysis of ceramics can often answer a wide variety of archaeological questions, especially regarding fabrication, manufacturing processes which were despite focused on the construction and trade of pottery. However, ceramics which were collected from the same site can mostly differ in their chemistry as well as fabrics. As is applied in many cases, essential archaeological survey and documentations in a theoretical framework are key to the proper application of ceramic petrography through the archaeometrical research. This paper deals with the petrographically approach on Kura-Araxes or Early Bronze Age ceramics manufacturing processes of Sonqor Plain. It is of worth-knowing to contribute that the contact and exchange strategies between indigenous communities and several culturalspheres during Early Bronze Age (beginning of the fourth millennium BC) in this area. Morphological data along with mineralogical composition of ceramics were applied to determine the major elements of the pottery sherds. Based on the result, one can be suggested that all of sherds are in the same group and were demonstrated mightily local productions. The ceramic manufacturing technology indicates same patterns of material interactions during the ETC or Kura-Araxes in all of the investigated sites in Sonqor Plain.

2017

From the late fourth millennium to the early third millennium, an homogenous culture with common features emerged in a vast region, including the northern part of the Iranian plateau, the east and north-east of Turkey, Syria, and the Mediterranean coast. This culture is known with different names, such as the Transcaucasian, Kura-Araxes, Yannik, Karaz, and so on. One of its main features is the glossy, Incised and black pottery. There are many discussions about the origin and the causes of its spread. Various factors, especially immigration, trade, expansion, and imitation have been stated for the justification of this expansion. In this study, the Kura-Araxes pottery was studied in three regions, namely Tape Kelar at Kelardasht (North of Iran), Kul tape at Jolfa (Northwest of Iran), and Tape Gourab at Malayer (West of Iran). In this research, 30 pottery fragments of Kura-Aras culture were analysed by thin-section and petrography method for provenance studies. It is found that these...

Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies (IJAS), 2022

Pottery is of particular importance in archaeology as an indicator of chronology, art, technology, and subsistence system of ancient populations. Pottery discloses contacts and exchanges between different regions. Kelar Hill (henceforth: Tapeh Kelar) of the Kelardasht region is a major prehistoric site in western Mazandaran. The site contains cultural evidences spanning the Late Chalcolithic (fourth millennium BCE) through the Islamic period. Amost significant component of the site’s sequence is a Kura-Araxes deposit. As the Kura-Araxes culture originated far from Tapeh Kelar (in South Caucasia), the primary concern of the present study revolves around the structureof the pottery from the site dating to the transition from the Late Chalcolithic to the Kura-Araxes period to spot the existing variations or discrepancies. The study also tries to answer the question whether or not the Kura-Araxes material represented exotic products at Tapeh Kelar. Some 25 sherds dating to the Late Chalcolithic, and Early‒Middle Bronze Age were picked up for petrographic analysis to compare the mineralogical texture of the Late Chalcolithic and Middle Bronze Age ceramics with those of the Kura-Araxes material. The analyses suggest that the Kura-Araxes pieces from Tapeh Kelar were local products despite some disparities in their texture, which stemmed from the difference in raw material sources. Therefore, the presumption that the Kura-Araxes-type pottery first entered the site through exchange or trade before the related forms were copied by local potters is refuted.

2015

Kul Tepe of Jolfa is located at Hadishahr, East Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran. Kul Tepe is situated near the border of Iran with Azerbaijan and Armenia and, thereby, it assumes particular importance in terms of the study of communications with these areas. This site is among the few prehistoric areas of East Azerbaijan province, which has witnessed continuous chronology since the 5 th millennium BC until the start of historic when it experienced systematic archaeological excavations. During two seasons of archaeological excavation, evidences such as pottery, architecture, stone tools and etc., relating to late Chalcolithic age and early Transcaucasia culture were found. Due to the complex issues on the expansion method of this culture in Near East, the potteries of this area withhold significant importance to be studied. The availability of absolute dating from Kul Tepe and also the absence of any gap between these two periods added to the significance of present work. Therefore, ten characteristic potsherds from Late Chalcolithic and ten potsherds from Early Transcaucasia culture (Kura-Araxes) were studied by thin section microscopic (petrographic) method. These potsherds had been obtained during the excavations on Kul Tepe. It has been revealed that the combination of them is consistent with the soil of the area and, thereby, the potsherds of Kul Tepe have been locally produced although they show some differences in terms of technical issues and temper.

2015

Kul Tepe of Jolfa is located at Hadishahr, East Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran. Kul Tepe is situated near the border of Iran with Azerbaijan and Armenia and, thereby, it assumes particular importance in terms of the study of communications with these areas. This site is among the few prehistoric areas of East Azerbaijan province, which has witnessed continuous chronology since the 5th millennium BC until the start of historic when it experienced systematic archaeological excavations. During two seasons of archaeological excavation, evidences such as pottery, architecture, stone tools and etc., relating to late Chalcolithic age and early Transcaucasia culture were found. Due to the complex issues on the expansion method of this culture in Near East, the potteries of this area withhold significant importance to be studied. The availability of absolute dating from Kul Tepe and also the absence of any gap between these two periods added to the significance of present work. There...

Gourab Tepe is one of Iran’s most important prehistoric sites, located in the city of Malayar in the province of Hamedan. Unlike Godin Tepe, Gourab’s transition from the Late Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age was without any ruptures, and the Bronze Age artifacts found there belong to the Kura-Araxes culture, a culture covering a vast geographical area whose wide spread through the region and the reasons for their expansion have been subjects of great fascination to archeologists. Petrography is a scientific method used in the geological sciences to identify minerals based on their optical properties. The pottery found on Gourab Tepe provides an incredible opportunity to study the transition from the Late Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age, which in itself is an important topic of discussion for archaeology. This article aims to understand the makeup of the minerals present in the pottery found on Gourab Tepe and analyze the transition from the Late Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age to understand the influence of cultural changes on the structure, texture, and makeup of the pottery in the region. Research questions include: Which minerals are present in the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age potteries, and what does their presence signify about the geological structure of the region? What effect did the Cultural transition and change have on the structures of potteries, and in the case of these changes, how can we interpret and analyze this phenomenon from an archeological standpoint? The petrographic study analyzing 20 samples—10 of which were from the Late Chalcolithic period and 10 of Kura-Araxes origin—showed that the Gourab Tepe potteries underwent significant structural changes from the Late Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age, and whilst these potteries were produced in the same region, the clay and the pottery-making techniques used had fundamental differences.

2017

In the middle of the fourth millennium, a distinguished culture was formed in the region Caucasus and it was extended at the beginning of the third millennium in a large area ended to Tehran plain, and the southern coast of the Caspian Sea from the east and to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea from the west. This culture, which has enjoyed a significant homogeneity, has been referred to as various names, including Transcaucasia culture, Kura-Araxes, Yanik, Karaz, and Khirbet Kerak. This cultural homogeneity and its geographical expansion led to the formation of broad debates among archaeologists in the short period of time. Such ideas as development, imitation, trade, and migration are amongst the main justifications for this issue. This culture is characterized with its unique pottery. In this study, the ideas and beliefs around this culture were taken into account and the Kura-Araxes pottery texture of Tepe Gourab in Malayer was studied by petrography. The study of pottery of this area showed that the pottery is consistent with the soil texture and geology of the area. It was also revealed that the pottery has been produced in the area and it has not been imported from Caucasus to the area as a result of trade and commerce. In conclusion, a reason other than trade should be emphasized for the expansion of this type of pottery.

2020

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2011

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