Grar: A Chalcolithic Site in the Northern Negev,Israel

Abstract

Grar is one of the largest Chalcolithic sites in southern Israel. The first part of this article presents an overview of the results of excavations carried out on the site during 1981–1987. The site of Grar is a cluster of occupational units once inhabited by sedentary farmers growing cereals and raising sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle. Grar is similar to other sites in the northern Negev previously considered as ephemeral. This suggests that the role of pastoralism and semi-nomadism in the Chalcolithic period has been overemphasized. Grar and other sites of the Chalcolithic period are, in fact, the earliest versions of villages of the Near Eastern fellahin, or peasants.

A comparative study of Grar and other northern Negev sites follows. Although the area in question is small, it is suggested that during the Chalcolithic period the northern Negev was settled by two groups, or “tribes,” with the same cultural background but different modes of lift.     

THERMOLUMINESCENT DATING OF NEOLITHIC AND CHALCOLITHIC POTTERY FROM SITES IN CENTRAL PORTUGAL

Samples of Neolithic and Chalcolithic pottery from nine sites in the Upper Alentejo and Estremadura regions of Portugal have been dated by the thermoluminescence method (quartz inclusion technique). The project was designed to help establish an absolute chronology for the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in this area, and to try to elucidate the chronological relationships between settlement sites and burial sites (‘dolmens’) in the same area. Portugal was confirmed, together with Brittany, as being one of the earliest foci of megalith builders.     

The Fortified Site of Leceia (Oeiras) in the Context of the Chalcolithic in Portuguese Estramadura

Research into the Chalcolithic period in the region of Lower Estremadura, south of Torres Vedras, western Portugal, has generated much new data from fortified sites and cemeteries. The lack, so far, of a thorough overview of this diverse body of information has hindered the definition of the Chalcolithic culture of the region. The economic, social and cultural transformation observed at sites with a long sequence beginning with the Late Neolithic, has never been analysed.
The results obtained by the author in one of the most notable sites of the region, the fortified site of Leceia, near the town of Oeiras, are of particular interest. Seventeen excavation campaigns carried out since 1983 have provided a remarkable body of information. The characterization of other previously identified Chalcolithic groups in Portugal allow us to see how the Chalcolithic of Estremadura relates, at a regional level, with the cultural development to the north, the south, the hinterland and the coast.
Of major importance to this discussion are the chronometric results obtained in Leceia. For the first time, the 36 radiocarbon dates and their subsequent statistical treatment have allowed us to establish absolute boundaries for the existing successive cultural phases of the Late Neolithic and the Early, Middle and Late Chalcolithic.     

SHRINES AND CERAMICS IN CHALCOLITHIC ISRAEL: THE VIEW THROUGH THE PETROGRAPHIC MICROSCOPE

The question of the nature of social and economic life in the Chalcolithic southern Levant has recently been the subject of increasing interest. Several archaeological sites and features in Israel have been interpreted as elements of religion. These include the shrines at En-Gedi and Gilat and the Nahal Mishmar hoard. The results of petrographic analyses of the pottery assemblages of these three sites, as well as the ceramic cores of copper artefacts from Nahal Mishmar and additional sites, are presented. In light of these results some previous hypotheses are tested. Alternative suggestions are offered as to the role of these sites in the life of the inhabitants of the Chalcolithic southern Levant.     

Continuity and change in pottery manufacture between the early and middle Neolithic of Romania

This paper provides the first scientific comparison between pottery production in the early Neolithic Star?evo-Cri? and middle Neolithic Vin?a cultures of south-eastern Europe. The author investigates whether Star?evo-Cri? pottery technology was transmitted to the succeeding Vin?a culture, which in other respects was more complex and technologically advanced. The study compares pottery production at two sites, in different regions of Romania, which were occupied in both periods. Samples of 102 pots from the Star?evo-Cri? and Vin?a phases at Par?a, located in Romanian Banat, and Miercurea Sibiului Petri? in Transylvania, were analysed petrographically and geochemically. There are only minor differences found in the pottery technology between the two sites within each phase, but there were significant changes in pottery technology between the Star?evo-Cri? and Vin?a cultures. These changes are more subtle than might have been expected, however, given the rapid developments in other aspects of material culture.     

The chalcolithic period in the Levant

The Levant of the fourth millennium B.C. was scattered with numerous small farming communities. The agricultural activities were based on growing barley, wheat, lentils, and fruit trees. This was accompanied by raising sheep-goats, pigs, and cattle and occasionally using marine resources. The architecture and the thick accumulation of debris loaded with pottery refuse indicate that the sites were sedentary and occupied for long periods. The social organization of these communities does not seem to have been very complex. The evidence argues against the existence of hierarchies and high-status social units that had the power to dominate and permanently regulate production and distribution. The evidence of religious activities also indicates that a priesthood, if it existed, was not dominant in the regulation of social and economic activities. The rapid cultural changes in the Levant during the late fourth and early third millennium were probably caused by the impact of the events in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The local modifications were readjustments to the large-scale changes in the Near East which influenced the rural and provincial Levantine Chalcolithic societies.     

试论水北遗址仰韶文化遗存的分期

水北遗址位于陕西省彬县炭店乡水北村(图一),面积为12万平方米。1959年,中国社会科学院考古研究所曾对该遗址进行调查,发现有钵、盆、罐、尖底瓶、缸、瓮等遗物[1][2]。2005年陕西省考古研究院等单位对水北遗址进行了发     

广东博罗先秦硬陶的XRF和INAA研究

为揭示广东博罗梅花墩、银岗、横岭山三地古陶器的产源、烧造工艺、技术传播和化交流等方面情况,用波长色散X射线荧光分析(WDXRF)、仪器中子活化分析(INAA)同时测量了广东博罗梅花墩、银岗、横岭山等三地点所出38片西周至春秋、战国硬陶中Al、Ba等元素的含量。并用主成分分析分别处理了测量数据。两套数据的分析结果均表明,梅花墩、银岗和横岭山的硬陶原料互不相同,各地点硬陶可能主要是“自烧自用”。数据分析还表明在南方各省区中,广东硬陶具有Al2O3含量偏高这一明显的地区特征。     

Shape Reproducibility and architectural symmetry during the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant

Architecture reflects social aspects of past communities. Structure attributes such as shape, size, building material and decoration, provide valuable information beyond their immediate structural function. However, while attributes such as size can be measured and therefore objectively compared between structures, the comparison of shape between structures is based on subjective observations. In the current study we use two quantification methods for analyzing prehistoric shape-based architectural data: (1) we developed a new method, Shape Reproducibility (SR), based on objective computerized procedure for analyzing the similarity and difference between shapes of ancient buildings; and (2) we use Continuous Symmetry Measure (CSM), a method which was originally developed for analyzing flint artifacts and ceramic vessels to objectively compare between shape symmetry. Applying these methods to settlement data of the Chalcolithic period enables quantification of the level of architectural similarity within and between different sites and their comparison to architectural data of later periods, such as the Early Bronze Age II urban center at Arad. Our CSM results suggest that the symmetry of architecture does not increase through time. Our SR findings demonstrate that in the main cultural Chalcolithic entity, the Ghassulian, the architecture of different sites could not be distinguished from one site to the other. In addition, we demonstrate that the architecture of the Chalcolithic sites in the Golan Heights is homogeneous and significantly differs from other Chalcolithic sites, while Ghassulian intra-site variability is higher. In comparison with Arad, however, this variability is relatively low and limited. These results suggest that status differentiation or hierarchical social organization cannot be indicated from Ghassulian architecture.     

The Ciempozuelos Necropolis skull: a case of double trepanation?

The focus of this study is the analysis of a trepanation performed on the skull of an adult male from the famous Bell Beaker necropolis of Ciempozuelos (Madrid) excavated at the end of the 19^th century. The unusual characteristics of the pottery and other associated grave goods gave rise to the use of the name ‘Ciempozuelos’ to define the regional Bell Beaker style; this refers to similar finds from other sites on the Meseta of central Spain. Although trepanations from Chalcolithic contexts in the Iberian peninsula are not infrequent, they are unusual in Bell Beaker inhumations. Furthermore, this skull is exceptional not only for the type of trepanation performed, but also for the subsequent cranial deformation apparently resulting from the operation, as well as evidence of a second subsequent trepanation which indicates a very short post‐surgical survival period for the individual. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pottery Styles during the Early Jomon Period: Geochemical Perspectives on the Moroiso and Ukishima Pottery Styles

Energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF) was used to determine the minor and trace element chemistry of 92 Early Jomon pottery sherds. The sherds came from four contemporary sites in the Kanto region and belong to either the Moroiso or Ukishima style of pottery. Principal components analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis indicate that there are four major groups in the data set, which correspond to site location. Furthermore, for sites having both Moroiso and Ukishima pottery, the statistical tests indicate that both styles of pottery were made from the same or geochemically similar raw materials. This suggests that both styles were probably made at the same site, and indicates that if the different pottery styles are reflecting ethnic identity, then intermarriage between ethnic groups is occurring. Alternatively, the pottery styles could be reflecting some sort of social interaction between groups.     

郑州商文化陶字符量化分析

对郑州商文化陶字符量化分析结果显示,早商文化陶字符使用以具有首都地位的郑州早商文化遗址最为集中,具有较强的地域性。郑州早商文化陶字符分期演进中出现一些分界现象,缘于商文化的兴盛和文化中心的转移。郑州商文化陶字符多出现于祭祀场所和手工业作坊遗址具有特殊意义的遗迹,表明其主要为生活、手工业生产、祭祀活动中有关数量、日期、位序、族属、地点等信息的记录遗存。     

试论鄂西北地区的“仰韶文化”和“屈家岭文化”

From the study of the complex of the so-called Yangshao culture and Qujialing culture in the northwest of Hubei Province,this paper discusses the alignment,evolution and variation of archaeological cultures.It argues that the different types of remains can be divided into four phases,based on the analyses and comparisions of the combined typical pottery objects in main sites.In addition,the remains in the area are compared horizontally to the cultures of the surrounding zones i.e.the Central Plain and the Jianghan Plain around the same period,and their respectively relative age,cultural characters and the alignment of cultural development are studied.     

Some spatial analyses of Chalcolithic settlement in Southern Israel

This paper is a brief investigation of one of the outstanding problems in Chalcolithic archaeology in the Negev desert of Israel: that of the spatial distribution of sites and the possible relationships between these sites that may be inferred. Although the region is rich in archaeological data for the Chalcolithic period, very little work has thus far been undertaken in terms of the quantification of the archaeological data – a necessary prerequisite for complex spatial analysis. Nevertheless, simple analysis of settlement patterns using the data presently available for 403 Chalcolithic sites in the Negev is given as an example. Autocorrelation tests measuring clustering and dispersion of sites show that the overall impression of clustering is a factor of access to farming land, water, grazing and Mediterranean maquis, but that smaller scale analysis suggests that settlement patterns were essentially random. This makes it difficult to argue in favour of settlement hierarchies or structured settlement of any kind.     

Trude Dothan (1922–2016): In Memoriam

Abstract

This paper sheds new light on the most common type of pottery associated with advanced phases of Early Bronze I (EB I) in the southern Jordan valley: the distinctive family or group known as Um Hammad Ware, or Proto-Urban D (PUD) Ware. To date, this kind of pottery was thought to be concentrated mostly around the site of Tell Um Hammad. This study presents new evidence suggesting that this ware was dispersed over a region considerably wider than previously understood, and that the centre of its manufacture was probably in the region of western Wadi Far'ah. This paper also explores the possibility that the origins of this family are to be found in the pottery traditions of the Golan region during the Chalcolithic period.     

A provenance study of Mycenaean pottery from Northern Israel

The occurrence of imported Mycenaean pottery in the Late Bronze Age southern Levant is one of the most conspicuous aspects of Eastern Mediterranean trade connections during this period. A group of 183 Mycenaean pottery vessels from 14 sites in northern Israel, from both coastal and inland settlement contexts were analyzed by Neutron Activation Analysis. The results indicate that the vast majority of these vessels have a similar profile and can be provenanced to the north-eastern Peloponnese or more specifically, to the Mycenae/Berbati workshop in the Argolid. Possible interpretations of these results are presented and discussed against the historical and cultural background of the Late Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean.     

Radiocarbon pottery dating: the chemical compounds of organic fractions, the reliability of 14C dates (preliminary results)

In recent times, a large number of radiocarbon dates appeared for the Southern Neolithic on the basis of pottery dating because other organic matter has practically not been preserved. There are two organic fractions of pottery useful for dating: food residues and carbon from the pottery matrix itself. Food residues are often dated, but this material is not always preserved and is prone to being removed during the cleaning of the pottery. The clay mass of the pottery contains carbon, often directly visible upon breaking of the pottery. The article focusses on determining the chemical composition of the organic fractions in the pottery and the origin of the carbon. For this aim we used the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method to identify the chemical compounds in the food residue and in the pottery matrix. As an example we used pottery from the Neolithic sites: Zamost??e (Central Russia) and the Varfolomeevskay sites (Southern European Russia, Low Volga region) from archaeological collections. The results obtained demonstrate that the food residue and the pottery matrix contain practically the same organic compounds, even if the relative abundances of various compounds are different in these materials. The origin of the carbon from pottery is discussed.     

Slave Communities and Pottery Variability in Western Brazil: The Plantations of Chapada dos Guimarães

In the region of Chapada dos Guimarães, Western Brazil, planters relied heavily on slave labor during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In this article, we examine the locally produced pottery found on slaves contexts in five rural sites of this region. Based in data from probate inventories and the pottery decorative variability we suggest that slaves used decorated pottery to express cultural and social differences.     

The contents of unusual cone-shaped vessels (cornets) from the Chalcolithic of the southern Levant

Cornets are cone-shaped ceramic vessels, characteristic of the Chalcolithic period (ca. 4700–3700 BC) in Israel and Jordan. Their contents and use are unknown. Gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass-selective detection, showed that extracts of cornets from five different sites with different related activities (domestic, habitation cave and a cultic complex) all contain the same assemblage of mainly n-alkanes adsorbed within their walls. This assemblage differs from those found in other types of ceramic vessels from the same sites, as well as from the residues found within the associated sediments. The assemblage of odd and even-numbered n-alkanes found in the cornets is almost identical to that found in the residues of beeswax heated on modern ceramic fragments, as well as in a beehive from the Iron Age IIA strata at Tel Rehov, Israel. Thus the cornets are most likely to have contained beeswax. The presence of beeswax in the cornets contributes to our understanding of the Chalcolithic period; a time when secondary products such as milk, olive oil and wine are thought to have come into use.     

POTTERY TECHNOLOGY AT THE CHALCOLITHIC SITE OF TELEILAT GHASSUL (JORDAN)

Sherds from the Chalcolithic levels at Teleilat Ghassul show evidence of a considerable degree of sophistication in pottery technology and design. The bodies are almost certainly made from a siliceous illitic clay which contained some calcium carbonate, and was obtained locally. Some unusual, yet common, sherds are composed of highly vitrified black bodies with a surface wash of a refractory white clay. These sherds indicate the production of one of the earliest known totally vitrified ceramic fabrics. The latter sherds have been examined in some detail by chemical, thermal and X-ray analysis, and optical and scanning electron microscopy.