To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Chalcolithic.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Chalcolithic'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Chalcolithic.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Erdogu, Burcin. "Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures in Turkish Thrace." Thesis, Durham University, 2001. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3994/.
Full textAbstract:
The subject of this thesis are the Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures in Turkish Thrace. Turkish Thrace acts as a land bridge between the Balkans and Anatolia. Along this land bridge it might be expected that there has been a transfer of ideas, exchange and movement of objects between two regions. Intensive survey in a selected part of Turkish Thrace - the Edime region - and systematic field collection techniques on selected sites were conducted. Intensive surveys in the Edime region have provided important evidence relating to past land use and settlement systems. On the basis of examination settlements and artefacts, local Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures closely related to the Balkan cultures were defined. One of the research problems in Turkish Thrace is the apparent dramatic decrease in population in the late Chalcolithic period. All late Chalcolithic sites are small relative to those of other Chalcolithic cultures in the Balkans. There are as yet no geographical studies, soil analysis or pollen diagrams from Turkish Thrace. However, it seems most likely that the depopulation of Turkish Thrace can be explained by a combination of environmental changes, soil changes or exchange network collapse. In Neolithic and Chalcolithic period, some of the Anatolian material looks similar to those of the Balkans. Similarities may be explained by the interaction sphere model. An interaction sphere is defined as an information or item exchange system through which aspects of culture are transferred and which ultimately produces regional similarities. Metabasite stone axes from the Şarköy axe factories were found in the Early Neolithic levels of Hoca Çeşme as well as on settlements in the Edime region. Honey flint of Northeast Bulgaria and Aegean Spondylus were found in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements of Turkish Thrace. These examples begin to introduce the nature of the exchange network in Turkish Thrace.
2
Croft, Paul W. "An osteological study of Neolithic and Chalcolithic Cyprus." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1988. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272464.
Full text
3
Schmidt, Armin R., and H. Fazeli. "Tepe Ghabristan: A Chalcolithic tell buried in alluvium." Wiley, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/4024.
Full textAbstract:
noThe Chalcolithic tell of Ghabristan in northwest Iran is now buried by alluvium and a magnetometer survey of the tell and its surroundings was undertaken to reveal any features under this cover. After the abandonment of the tell in the late third millennium BC it was used as an Iron Age cemetery by inhabitants of the neighbouring tell of Sagzabad. The magnetometer data show a related irregularly shaped channel that is also considered to be of Iron Age date.Its shallow burial depth, compared with the thick sedimentary layers underneath, indicates a considerable slowdown of alluviation rates in the second millennium BC, possibly related to environmental changes. The survey also found evidence for undisturbed buried building remains, most likely associated with copper workshops.
4
Pereira, Filipa Isabel Peralta da Silva. "Archaeometallurgical study of artefacts from Castro de Vila Nova de São Pedro (Azambuja, Portugal)." Master's thesis, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/6220.
Full textAbstract:
Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em
Conservação e RestauroThe Castro de Vila Nova de São Pedro (VNSP) is a settlement located at Azambuja, district of Lisbon, occupied during the third and second millennia BC, predominantly during the Chalcolithic period. A diversified collection of 275 copper-based artefacts (complete or in a fragmented condition) belonging to VNSP was studied for this thesis using non-destructive and micro-destructive analytical techniques. The classification of the objects according to its main chemical elements was performed by using EDXRF spectrometry. A selection of 53 of these artefacts was analysed by micro-EDXRF spectrometry to quantify the alloy compositions. The microstructural characterisation of the metal alloys, as well as the identification of the thermomechanical processes applied to the shaping of the artefacts was accomplished through optical microscopy, supported by SEM-EDS and supplemented by Vickers micro-hardness measures to establish the actual effectiveness of the thermomechanical processes in the hardness of the artefact. Results show that the initial collection is mainly composed of copper and arsenical copper. In the subset of 53 artefacts, 38% were considered copper alloyed with arsenic (As>2%). A statistically significant association was found between copper alloys with arsenic contents over 2% and artefacts identified as weapons. This could point out as the addition of arsenic in order to increase the weapon’s mechanical strength. The determination of the “chaîne opératoire” by microstructural analysis show that the majority of this subset (73%) was finished with forging plus annealing operations cycles and 23% of the artefacts received final cold hammering. In several cases, the presence of arsenic rich phases in the microstructure shows no evidence of controlling cooling rates during the casting operation. No direct correlation was found between the arsenic content of the alloy and its hardness, assessed by Vickers microhardness testing. Nevertheless, proof was found of a higher hardness near the blade regions of the artefacts.
Fundação da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia,project METALURGIA PRIMITIVA NO TERRITÓRIO PORTUGUÊS - PTDC/HIS-ARQ/110442/2008
5
Levy, Janet. "The chalcolithic textile industry in the Southern Levant : tools, technology and products /." [Beer-Sheva] : Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 2006.
Find full text
6
Hanbury-Tenison, J. W. "The Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze 1 transition in Palestine and Transjordan." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.375868.
Full text
7
Lisboa, Isabel Marina Gomes. "Stylistic variability and social organisation in the Chalcolithic of south western Iberia." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1989. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272631.
Full text
8
Seaton, Peta. "Chalcolithic cult and risk management at Teleilat Ghassul : the Area E Sanctuary /." Oxford : Archaeopress, 2008. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy0903/2008278335.html.
Full text
9
Zalaite, Indre. "Exploring chalcolithic diet and mobility of humans and animals from Perdigões site." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/20586.
Full textAbstract:
Chalcolithic diet at Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz) was investigated using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human bone collagen. Strontium isotopes of faunal dental enamel were used to establish the site local range and to distinguish the presence of non-local individuals.
ATR-FTIR and EA analysis were used to determine the degree of bone diagenesis and to evaluate the reliability of the stable isotopic composition for paleodietary reconstruction.
The individuals from which paleodietary results were obtained had a diet based on C3 terrestrial resources and some animal protein. Data from Perdigões site, was compared with the published data from other Iberian Chalcolithic populations. Site comparison revealed that diet through Iberian Peninsula have mainly maintained terrestrial dietary focus consistent with animal husbandry and farming on C3 plants with occasional intake of freshwater or marine resources.
Strontium isotopic composition of enamel revealed that some of the individuals from Perdigões site were non-local; Resumo:
A dieta de indivíduos do período Calcolítico dos Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz) foi investigada através de análise de isótopos estáveis de carbono e azoto no colagénio ósseo. Isótopos de estrôncio do esmalte dentário de fauna foram utilizados para estabelecer o sinal local dos Perdigões, permitindo distinguir a presença de alguns indivíduos e fauna não-locais.
A avaliação da diagénese óssea foi efectuada através de análises realizadas com analisador elementar e com ATR-FTIR, de forma a validar dos resultados isotópicos obtidos.
Os indivíduos para os quais foi possivel obter resultados isotópicos de carbono e azoto apresentam uma dieta baseada em recursos terrestres, plantas C3, e alguma proteína animal. A comparação efectuada com outros sitios arqueológicos da Peninsula Ibérica revelaram que a dieta das populações é sobretudo feita à base de plantas C3, com ingestão de alguma proteina animal e ingestão ocasional de produtos marinhos ou provenientes de água doce.
10
Robbins, Gwen. "Population dynamics, growth and development in Chalcolithic sites of the Deccan Plateau, India /." view abstract or download file of text, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1404335991&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=11238&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 301-344). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
11
Theodossiades, Maro Charalambous. "Furniture and its representations in Cyprus (from Chalcolithic II to Cypro-Archaic II)." Thesis, University of London, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.261708.
Full text
12
Stroud, Elizabeth. "An archaeobotanical investigation into the Chalcolithic economy and social organisation of central Anatolia." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d2b39a5f-cb80-4ec8-8352-73cf3fc1e254.
Full textAbstract:
Limited knowledge about the 3000-year period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age in central Anatolia, Turkey, prevents any understanding of change or continuity in crop production, consumption and crop husbandry techniques. This research aims to address this bias through the examination of archaeobotanical remains from the four central Anatolian Chalcolithic sites of Çatalhöyük West, Çamlıbel Tarlası, Canhasan I and Kuruçay and the consequent investigation of their crop economies. This work draws on multiple methods and techniques to understand the plant-related activities that occurred at the sites. The four chosen sites bookend the Chalcolithic period (c. 6000-3000 cal BC) and provide the opportunity for exploring the interrelationship between crop choice, crop husbandry, settlement size, surrounding environment and social organisation. Differences in crop species such as hulled barley, glume wheats and pulses, particularly lentil and bitter vetch occur at all four sites with species choice community specific. Multiple methods are used to disentangle the depositional processes, such as dung burning, that formed the assemblages, providing an indication of the origin of the archaeobotanical material and allowing inferences about the nature of weed seeds found. Crop processing activities are evident at all sites, with the dehusking of glume wheat contributing significantly to the archaeobotanical assemblage. The analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of crops coupled with the functional ecology of arable weeds, indicate that crop husbandry techniques/regimes were site specific and were influenced by site size/population as well as environmental conditions. The identification of the crops grown and the methods used to cultivate and process them have implications for understanding the social context of such activities, and the broader socio-economic background of a period preceding the great changes in social structure seen in the Bronze Age.
13
Frame, Lesley (Leslie Diana). "Investigations at Tal-i Iblis : evidence for copper smelting during the Chalcolithic period." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33759.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2004."June 2004."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-163).
This thesis examines a small corpus of artifacts from Tal-i Iblis, Iran dating to the mid-6th millennium BCE. When excavated in the late 1960s, these artifacts were presumed to be evidence of an early copper smelting technology on the Iranian Plateau, and they were delivered to MIT for further analysis. In this thesis I briefly describe the origins of early metallurgical activity in the Old World focusing mainly on the Iranian Plateau. This will provide a basis for the significance of the thesis and of the early date associated with the metallurgical objects. I have studied six of the Tal-i Iblis artifacts curated at MIT through extensive qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. These methods are described in Chapter IV. The results and discussion are presented in Chapters V and VI. I have found that these Iblis sherds provide substantial evidence for the presence of a copper smelting technology during the early occupation levels at Tal-i Iblis, Iran.
by Lesley Frame.
S.B.
14
Cockcroft, David Gregor. "Round barrows in Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age Yorkshire : architecture, burial, and landscape." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/2906.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the role of round barrows during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 2500 – 1500 BC) in Yorkshire. This is done by exploring patterns in site distribution, use of construction material, changes in artefact deposition, burial practices and architectural traditions to examine changing prehistoric engagements with the dead, the remains of past monuments, and the land itself through three key questions. These are: how were round barrows in Yorkshire developed over time, how did they affect the changing relationships between the living and the dead, and what do they tell us about prehistoric engagement with the physical world? Across the centuries of their use, round barrows relate differently to the sense of space and place, conceptions of past and memory, and signify shifting relationships between the living and the dead. These trends are traced across whole of Yorkshire and in specific case study areas: the Upper Wold Valley, the Ure-Swale interfluve, and the Howardian Hills. Throughout Yorkshire, there is a co-existence of Beakers and Food Vessels in burials. Practices such as cremation burial were more common in certain regions than others in the latter half of the Early Bronze Age. In the Wolds and the Vale of Mowbray, inhumation remained a significant practice throughout the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age. Cremation burial became more influential across Yorkshire and round barrows with burials of cremated remains were built in the Howardian Hills without pre-existing monuments. In the Ure-Swale interfluve, round barrows were built both within Neolithic monument complexes and outside of them c. 2150-1750 BC. After that development of burial mounds moves away from older monuments. Diversity in round barrows is difficult to appreciate from only the Wolds or the North Yorkshire Moors. The region might follow many of the patterns established elsewhere in Britain but it is comprised of varied and a greater level of refinement could define other parts of the county better by using the wider-scale framework to examine monuments in the surrounding regions.
15
Gamble, Michelle. "Health and disease in Chalcolithic Cyprus : a problem-oriented palaeopathological study of the human remains." Thesis, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1303.
Full textAbstract:
Poor preservation of the human skeletal remains on Cyprus has, in the past, limited palaeopathological analyses conducted. The research presented here has two main aims: (1) to explore the possibility of deriving useful information from the poorly preserved human remains from Chalcolithic Cyprus and the methodological adjustments required to do so, and (2) to discuss the health status of the human Chalcolithic populations in Southwest Cyprus, determining patterns in the expression of pathologies related to age, sex or burial location which, if present, may further elucidate aspects of lifeways within and amongst the living populations. These aims are achieved through a macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the pathological lesions on the human skeletal remains from the Souskiou-Laona cemetery, the Lemba-Lakkous and Kissonerga-Mosphilia settlement sites which all date to the Middle Chalcolithic period. This research presents one of the first comprehensive palaeopathological studies for the Chalcolithic period in Cyprus with multi-site data. Lesions arising from osteoarthritic processes, non-specific diseases and disorders as well as trauma, dental pathologies and congenital defects are recorded, analysed and discussed within the archaeological context. The results presented in this thesis show that information regarding prehistoric peoples can be drawn from poorly preserved remains and it goes further to explore the limitations to the interpretations which can be postulated. The analyses of the research indicate that there are moderate to low prevalence of pathological lesions observed on the Chalcolithic skeletal remains. There is differential expression between males and females in the joints affected by osteoarthritic changes and the types of dental pathologies suffered by each sex. This research contributes to the overall historiography of health and disease in Cyprus, by filling a lacuna for the Chalcolithic period. Additionally, it provides an illustration of some methodological modifications, such as qualitative discussion, needed when dealing with poorly preserved and commingled material in a palaeopathological study.
16
Price, Richard P. S. "Burial practice and aspects of social structure in the late Chalcolithic of north-east Bulgaria." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1997. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e93fb806-0a9a-4250-9e42-789743ca8f5e.
Full textAbstract:
The study considers archaeological evidence for burials and other mortuary practices from the Late Chalcolithic period in north-east Bulgaria. The Late Chalcolithic is defined (circa 4500-4000 B.C.) and around 900 burials are attributed to two cultural groups within the region in this period. It is argued that previous studies of the evidence can be rejected for assuming a straightforward equivalence between burial forms and social structures. An alternative model of social organization is proposed based on the 'structuration' and 'habitus' models of Giddens and Bourdieu which emphasize the role of the individual in the reproduction of social institutions. This framework is used to examine the importance of (mortuary) rituals and the symbolic use of material culture in strategies intended to maintain or alter the distribution of power and resources. The data is examined using quantitative measures of spatial and temporal variability and statistical measures of association between variables. It is argued that two basic patterns can be discerned and which correspond to the defined cultures. The inland cultural pattern is further divided into two 'types' based on the location and forms of burials. Burial forms and grave goods are also examined qualitatively and the values attributed to artefacts, materials and the processes of burial are addressed. From this it is argued that meanings are fundamentally mediated through processes of reciprocation between kinship groups and with ancestors. Social structures based on gender and age, the settlement community and residence are proposed. 'Codes' of the use of material culture within mortuary rituals are described and evaluated through a consideration of assemblages and performance. Changes within and between cemeteries over time are used to reconstruct patterns of competition and emulation. The interpretations of social interaction in burial practices are related to other forms of evidence from the Late Chalcolithic in north-east Bulgaria and suggestions made for a new understanding of social organization in both cultures. The conclusions are placed in a wider spatial and temporal perspective and conclusions presented relating to both the data studied and the theoretical models adopted.
17
Beckman, Christopher. "The bearded man and the pig-tailed women : hierarchy-enacting practices in Late Chalcolithic Mesopotamia." Thesis, University of Reading, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.627922.
Full textAbstract:
During the Middle to Late Uruk period (ca. 3800-3100 BC) in greater Mesopotamia and its surrounding regions, there emerged for the first time in human history a series of early complex polities. Within these polities human labour was harnessed and consolidated to serve the interests of the proto bureaucratic organisations that governed them. These organisations were controlled by elites who classified society in new hierarchical terms, which both reproduced and legitimated their dominance and power. This thesis examines this phenomenon in three sites in greater Mesopotamia where there was evidence of early complex polity formation: Uruk-Warka, Godin Tepe, and Arslantepe. It considers how the stratification of society in these sites was expressed through "hierarchy-enacting practices" associated with the administrative artefacts used by the proto bureaucratic organisations intent on legitimating elite power. It examines the iconographic representations placed upon the artefacts, the material practices undertaken with them, and the built environment in which they circulated. It asks who or what participated in organisational activities involving the artefacts and where these activities took place, and then situates them within the dominant organisational discourses of that time. This thesis argues that the hierarchy-enacting practices associated with the administrative artefacts used by these proto-bureaucracies led to a hierarchical understanding of society. Administrative artefacts and the spaces in which they operated became sites where interpellation was practised, identity positions were drawn, and subjects were created in the legitimation of new forms of social organisation and power. As such, these practices contributed to the socialisation and stratification of individuals and groups critical to the process of early complex polity formation.
18
Bailey, Douglass W. "The social reality of figurines from the Chalcolithic of northeastern Bulgaria : the example of Ovcharovo." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1991. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/272937.
Full text
19
Heise, Marc E. "Heads North or East? : a re-examination of Beaker burials in Britain." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/20947.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis compares burial practices of Beaker-using communities in Britain and provides a corpus of British Beaker burials. Chronologically, this study covers the period from around the 25th until the 18th century BC, from the Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Beakers were a new feature in late British prehistory and were probably introduced through small-scale migration and cultural transfer. Together with the pottery, a new style of funerary practices was introduced, that was comparable to continental practices at that time and strictly distinguished between male and female individuals. The standard continental practice, e.g. in Bohemia, was that men were buried with their head to the north, lying on their left side, thus facing east. Women were also facing east, but were buried on the right side and were consequently orientated to the south. This particular pattern can be found in southern Britain but is less strict in its application. This peculiar finding has attracted much scholarly interest since its discovery. Therefore, the research of Beaker funerary practices has a long tradition and still forms a core area of research. This study considers two main questions: does the data confirm established opinions on Beaker burial practices, including a distinct regional division of burial traditions, e.g. in terms of body orientation between northern and southern Britain, and is it possible to identify which area of continental Europe exerted the greatest influence on developments in Britain? In order to be able to structurally compare these burials, a database containing 311 entries has been compiled from the published literature. All available data on the skeletons has been integrated, including orientation, position, and limb position. Additionally, data on grave construction and artefacts has been collected. This data has been analysed quantitatively and qualitatively, both comparatively and statistically. Through the collected data, this thesis argues that the general image of Beaker burial practices is still valid. However, certain generalisations require revision, for example the orientations of individuals. Chronologically, early Beaker burials follow strict standards, while during the course of Beaker currency these standards become less strictly adhered to. Possible regions of the origin of British Beaker burial practices are usually connected with the Lower Rhine area. The study agrees that this area had strong influences in northern Britain, but argues that southern Britain, on grounds of orientations and positions of the bodies, had more varied influences with a stronger input from central Europe.
20
Standish, Christopher David. "The source of Irish chalcolithic and Bronze Age gold : a lead isotope and major element provenance study." Thesis, University of Bristol, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/cdda2553-f80e-4a66-8b04-4fff853b7b70.
Full textAbstract:
Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Europe witnessed a marked growth in the deployment of exotic materials such as amber, jet and gold; a feature commonly linked to increases in social stratification. Of these, gold is poorly characterised in tenns of provenance which is a significant obstacle if an understanding of the role this material played in prehistoric societies is to be achieved. A combined lead isotope and major element composition provenance study has therefore been perfonned on 67 Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Irish gold artefacts. Methodologies that enable the lead isotope analysis of natural and artefact gold using both solution (external precision <250 parts per million) and laser ablation (external precision <1640 parts per million) multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma massspectrometry were developed. Analyses of 34 Irish gold deposits distinguished a series of gold bearing regions, with isotopic variation a function of source age (Early Caledonian, Late Caledonian and Variscan) and source composition (mantle, lower crustal, upper crustal). Based on lead isotope analysis alone, the majority of the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age artefacts are consistent with southern Irish Late Caledonian or younger mineralisation, with a smaller group too radiogenic to be of Irish origin. However no southern Irish gold source has the high silver (typically 9.5% to 14.5%), moderate copper (typically below detection to 0.79%) and moderate tin (typically below detection to 0.38%) concentrations recorded for these artefacts. Therefore a non-Irish origin for the majority of the gold is favoured. Based on the CUlTent data, southern Britain is considered the most likely source region. Accordingly, the deployment of gold throughout Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Ireland is consistent with wider patterns of exotic material consumption, where distant sources were prefelTed even when local deposits were available. The control of exotic materials is one potential mechanism for individuals or groups to attain power, however there is little evidence for the control of gold procurement during the Chalcolithic or Early Bronze Age. Compositional data favours the exploitation of multiple alluvial deposits within one principle gold bearing region, alongside the absence of centralised fabrication centres. Conversely, preliminary data from Middle and Late Bronze Age gold artefacts suggests greater control over the metal supply due to a) the exploitation of a single, rich, deposit and/or b) the existence of centralised fabrication centres. This highlights a significant shift in the way gold was procured and/or deployed, and offers a new mechanism for the creation of the increasingly complex and stratified societies that began to fonn towards the end of the 2nd millennium BC.
21
Scire', Calabrisotto Caterina <1981>. "Stable isotope analysis of human and faunal remains: a palaeodietary investigation into chalcolithic and bronze age Cyprus." Doctoral thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10579/10358.
Full textAbstract:
Food supply and subsistence strategies are usually considered the starting point for the reconstruction of socio-economical patterns within the life of prehistoric communities. From the archaeological point of view, to investigate the food system of past human societies usually means to analyse and interpret the physical remains left behind during the principal phases of food provision: procurement, storage, preparation, consumption and disposal. However, given the perishable nature of many food-related materials, the archaeological record should not be assessed in isolation but within an inter-disciplinary framework where any other available form of evidence is integrated. Towards this purpose, the reconstruction of dietary patterns by means of stable isotope analysis of fossil materials represents a well-established technique for supplementing the archaeological data and gathering quantitative and qualitative information both on food resources and their patterns of use, which is the stage of procurement, and on individual consumer behaviour, that is the phase of consumption. In particular, the clearest advantage of the method is that it reflects the foods actually eaten by an individual, or a group of individuals, including those organic remains with low recovery rates, such as plant foods and fish residues.
With reference to prehistoric Cyprus, dietary patterns have been usually inferred from faunal and botanical data and within the context of broader researches focused on subsistence strategies. Applications of stable isotope analysis for palaeodietary reconstruction are practically absent in the current literature. Within these premises, this research project focuses on the reconstruction of the palaeodiet of the population of Cyprus during the period from the Chalcolithic to the beginning of Late Bronze Age (c. 3900-1450 BC) by means of stable isotope analysis of faunal and human remains. The investigated period is particularly significant in terms of cultural development of the Cypriot society, as it encompasses a series of changes in social structure, technology and economy that will gradually transform the village-based, isolated Chalcolithic communities of the island into cooperative, rural and proto-industrial centres during the subsequent Early and Middle Bronze Age.
In this study, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios have been measured on several faunal and human samples (bone and teeth) collected from relevant Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites of Cyprus. The stable isotope results have been evaluated in relation to the archaeological, anthropological and environmental records in order to reconstruct the dietary patterns of the investigated communities. Beyond the mere reconstruction of a diet, the new isotopic dataset has been discussed in relation to other food-related topics, following three different approaches: 1) a socio-cultural approach intended to examine social implications related to diet, for example differences in food acquisition and consumption, or possible gender-related differences in the diet; 2) a geographical approach, so as to study regional differences in the diet, but also the mutual relationship between the environment and the dietary choices of the communities; 3) a diachronic approach, designed to examine the differences in the dietary behaviours of the Chaclolithic and Bronze Age individuals.
22
Paraskeva, Charalambos. "Chronology, topography and social change : a multi-linear perspective on the Chalcolithic to Bronze Age transition in Cyprus." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25675.
Full textAbstract:
Theories of socio-cultural change regarding the transition from the Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age in Cyprus have since the nascence of prehistoric archaeology on the island been the subject of lively debate between archaeologists who argue for internal versus external evolution processes. Yet, despite all efforts, a coherent model explaining the evident material culture differences between the two epochs remains elusive, an indication that the current polarization of theories masks inherent complexities of the archaeological record. Moving beyond the internal/external dichotomy, the present thesis argues for one such explanatory model and approaches this notable transition from three distinct and less explored aspects, namely chronology, pottery analysis and topography. Starting with chronology, the thesis assesses previous chronological schemata, examines issues of methodology, performs an in-depth data quality analysis, and, on the basis of the creative dialogue between absolute and relative dating data, proposes a novel chronology for the island. This chronology transcends linearity by adopting cultural period overlaps and differential regional adoption of technologies. Moving to spatial matters, the study disentangles space-time systematics for sites dating from the Middle Chalcolithic to the Philia Phase. In effect, it establishes a ceramic typology for the Chalcolithic that is applicable to the entire island; clarifies and records in a custom-made recording system, dubbed CARMA (Cyprus ARchaeological MAterials Relational Database System), the research history and material assemblages of each site; situates sites in the physical landscape of Cyprus and performs socio-spatial analyses, where the results of pottery analysis are interwoven with the spatial relationships between sites. The last analysis provides positive evidence for cultural uniformity in the Middle Chalcolithic, for the emergence of regional cultures in the Late Chalcolithic and the abandonment of settlements at the beginning of the Philia Phase, and for the co-existence of spatially distinct cultures during the Philia Phase. Lastly, the results of the chronology and spatial studies inform the data synthesis in the final section, where a different narrative of socio-cultural change is developed. This argues for the emergence of divergences already in the Late Chalcolithic, for the co-existence and uneven bi-directional interaction of indigenous and foreign populations during the Philia Phase, and for the development of regionalism in the Early Bronze Age as a result of variable adoption of technologies, entanglement and resistance to cultural identity assimilation.
23
Frame, Lesley. "Technological change in Southwestern Asia: Metallurgical production styles and social values during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195816.
Full textAbstract:
The beginnings of metallurgical activity have intrigued scholars for decades. In this dissertation, I explore early metallurgical activity on the Iranian Plateau represented by the evidence at Tal-i Iblis in southern Iran, and Seh Gabi and Godin Tepe in central northern Iran. Together, these sites offer a diachronic view of metal production on the Plateau as well as a view of metallurgical activities practiced at different scales of production. The metallurgical materials from Tal-i Iblis are firmly dated to the late 6th to early 5th millennia BCE, and this corpus includes hundreds of crucible fragments excavated from multiple trash dumps. Seh Gabi and Godin Tepe offer a smaller range of production materials from the 4th through 2nd millennia BCE, but they also include a large collection of finished metal objects. These later materials differ in style and process from the Iblis debris.Thorough examination of these artifacts, combined with comparison to a series of carefully controlled casting experiments, has returned numerous significant results. The metallurgy of the Iranian Plateau does not fit the standard model of early metallurgical development. The Iblis crucibles do not reflect an early "experimental" stage in copper production. Rather, these artifacts represent a carefully controlled, production process with a narrow range of variability in both temperature and reducing atmosphere. Further, there is clear evidence for the preference of arsenical-copper alloys at Tal-i Iblis. These ancient craftspeople sought high-quality ores from a source (the Talmessi copper deposit) over 500 km from their production facility.Metallurgical production on the Iranian Plateau is also characterized by the long-term use of crucibles as the primary reaction vessel well into the 2nd millennium BCE. There are some production centers on the Iranian Plateau that see the use of furnaces during the 3rd millennium, but crucible use persists at many sites. At Godin Tepe--a site with significant evidence for contact with the Mesopotamian lowlands--variability in crucible form increases in later periods to include an Egyptian-style crucible during the 2nd millennium BCE. The presence of this crucible suggests that there was contact with foreign metallurgical processes, but the preference for small, portable reaction vessels persisted.
24
Stork, Leigh A. "Social use of metal from the Late Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age in the Upper Euphrates Valley." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/22066.
Full textAbstract:
Previous work on the early use of metal draws heavily upon the work of V. Gordon Childe, particularly his 1944 ‘Archaeological ages as technological stages’ article which outlined the development and social impact of metal in prehistory. Subsequent work, especially in the European paradigm, in the field of archaeometallurgy and material culture studies of metal have been oriented towards the typological definition and description of metal objects and how these typologies changed over time. Rather than focusing on the development of metallurgical technology or specific metal artefacts, this thesis seeks to outline the social use of metal in the latter prehistory of the Upper Euphrates Valley. This is accomplished by comparing and contrasting the published information regarding the numbers, types and contexts of metal objects and metalworking paraphernalia found at these sites and discussing these finds within the socio-political and economic frameworks of the Late Chalcolithic 2 – 5 and the Early Bronze Age I and II (ca. 4000-2600 BC). This analysis is then compared against the social use of metal at sites in Mesopotamia, Upper Mesopotamia and the southern Caucasus from the relevant time periods in order to provide a framework by which to assess the factors that contributed to the use of metal in the ‘Euphratean’ cultural milieu. Chronological and geographical analyses reveal patterns that can be used to establish how the social use of metal changed over time- both within the entire Upper Euphrates Valley as well as at specific sites in response to external influence. Results of such analyses show that not only does the intensity of metal production increase over time, but that there is also an increased diversity of the types of objects being manufactured. However, the main distinction between the Late Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age is in the contexts in which metal was being used. There is a clear increase in the use of metal in mortuary contexts during the early centuries of the third millennium, especially in the region of the Euphrates Valley that is close to the modern Turkish-Syrian border, a situation that reflects the ability of a greater proportion of the population to manipulate surplus resources. This thesis, therefore, stresses the close relationship between the changing economic and socio-political systems with the changing social use of metal over time from the late fourth millennium through the first half of the early third millennium.
25
Cutting, Marion Valerie. "The Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic farmers of central and southwest Anatolia : household, community and the changing use of space." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2004. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1446733/.
Full textAbstract:
This research uses quantitative and qualitative data collected from ten Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic sites in Central and Southwest Anatolia (Asikli Hoyuk, Catalhoyuk, Canhasan III, Canhasan I, Guvercinkayasi, Hoyucek, Badamagaci, Erbaba, Hacilar and Kuru9ay) to investigate the relationship between the use of household and community space and chronological, regional and subsistence changes. This relationship was explored using data about buildings, the distribution of subsistence activities, upper storeys, building entry, open spaces and inter-household arrangements. It was concluded that inter-site differences in building size, configuration and design were marked, suggesting local rather than global trajectories of the kind associated with chronology, region or subsistence. Nevertheless, three trends were identified. Firstly, buildings became larger over time on many sites. Secondly, building density was higher in Central Anatolia due largely to the agglomerated architecture found only in that region. Thirdly, throughout the Neolithic, buildings typically housed single nuclear households but building differentiation, absent at Asikli Hoyuk, increased over time and was present at Catalhoyuk. During the Early Chalcolithic, buildings became more differentiated. These changes mirrored those found in the Levant and Northern Iraq but their use by some writers to construct a three-stage socio-political model (collaborative small households, corporate kinship and simple hierarchical systems) was rejected. A relationship was found between changes in household configuration and animal domestication in Central Anatolia where three sites had documented faunal evidence. It was concluded that further research in Near Eastem and eastern Mediterranean contexts was needed to test the strength of this relationship, particularly the correlation between settlement size, architectural configuration, subsistence strategies and demography. The research also evaluated the qualitative and quantitative methodologies (including space syntax) used to study household space and concluded that an approach combining ethnographic analogy, systematic description and statistical analysis was most effective.
26
Parras, Zissis. "The biological affinities of the Eastern Mediterranean in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age : a regional dental non-metric approach." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2004. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10267/.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated biological population affinities amongst Eastern Mediterranean Chalcolithic and Bronze Age human skeletal samples. Seven hundred and eighty-six human remains from eight different sites in Cyprus, Greece and Syria were studied. The sites range in age from the Cypriot Chalco lithic (SouskiouVathyrkakas, Lemba-Lakkous and Kissonerga-Mosphilia) to Cypriot Late Bronze Age (Enkomi and Ayios Iakovos), Syrian Early Bronze (Jerablus-Tahtani) and Greek Middle Bronze Ages (Lema and Asine). Age, sex and non-metric traits from the dentition, crania and post-crania were recorded. Using the non-metric dental data the biological affinities of these sites were determined. Two statistics were utilised with the non-metric traits to determine biological affinities, the Mean Measure of Divergence (MMD) and the Coefficient of e (D.e). The comparisons bet\veen the sites from southwest Cyprus show all three sites, which are in close spatial proximity, to be statistically biologically similar. Also they appeared to show some relation to the Syrian Early Bronze age site of Jerablus-Tahtani. These findings are in contrast to the different material cultures of these two regions, which may suggest the biological relation may be based on the ancestral contact between Cyprus and the mainland. The Cypriot Late Bronze sites show a mixed relation with the Chalco lithic samples with some relations with the Middle Bronze Age Greek samples and Syria. Where geographical distance is usually a factor in these types of comparisons, this study suggests time may also be a factor.
27
Whitcher, Sarah E. "Animals, environment and society : a zooarchaeological approach to the Late Chalcolithic-Early Bronze I transition in the southern Levant." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/22736.
Full textAbstract:
The Chalcolithic-Early Bronze I (ca. 4500-3000 BCE) in the southern Levant saw significant social, political, and economic changes, evidenced by changing architectural styles, settlement patterns, and material cultures. Developments in the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze I gave way to the first walled settlements in the Early Bronze II, sometimes termed the first "urban" period in the southern Levant. This study investigates the animal component of the subsistence economy during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze I in the southern Levant. In light of the proposed social, political, and economic changes occurring at this time, certain changes in the use of animals and their products are proposed. Zooarchaeological data are used to address four research themes: 1) the nature and degree of change in the transition from the Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze IA; 2) evidence within the subsistence economy that might help explain the Chalcolithic collapse; 3) zooarchaeological distinctions between the Early Bronze IA and IB, two discrete phases which are rarely separated in zooarchaeological studies; and, 4) a zooarchaeological assessment of the relationship between Egypt and the southern Levant from its incipience in the Chalcolithic to its climax in the Early Bronze IB. Results indicate that meat and secondary products provisioning occurred on a household basis from the Chalcolithic through the Early Bronze IB. However, changes in animal use noted between sites and over time at Shiqmim, Afrida, and the Halif Terrace indicate changing subsistence strategies within the limits of household production. The varying strategies indicate how the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze I people related to environmental limitations and changes in stability in light of the changing socio-political situations. Evidence from the later Early Bronze IB indicates a particularly significant change towards more intensified use of sheep/goat. The animal economy has also been found to serve as a catalyst for change-in the case of the donkey, whose increased presence corresponds, not coincidentally, with increasing contact with Egypt. Zooarchaeological analyses are therefore found to build upon our interpretations of the nature and degree of change from the Chalcolithic through the Early Bronze IB.
28
Cutting, Marion Valerie. "The neolithic and early chalcolithic farmers of Central and Southwest Anatolia : household, community and the changing use of space /." Oxford : Archaeopress, 2005. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb40098203v.
Full text
29
Shugar, Aaron Neal. "Archaeometrical investigation of the Chalcolithic site of Abu Matar, Israel : a reasseement of technologyand its implications for the Ghassuluian culture." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.512076.
Full text
30
Hukelova, Zuzana. "Comparative osteoarchaeological perspectives on health and lifestyle of Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age populations from Slovakia, Moravia and Bohemia." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/22958.
Full textAbstract:
Despite the potential of a biocultural methodology, osteology and archaeology are often approached separately in some parts of Central Europe. This osteoarchaeological thesis presents a rare comparative study of populations occupying modern-day Slovakia, Moravia, and Bohemia from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age (EBA). By examining skeletal indicators of health and lifestyle, it aims to contribute to bioarchaeological research within the study region. It also provides new insights into a series of important sites where no osteological evaluation of skeletal remains have previously been performed. Human remains from thirty-four sites in Slovakia, Moravia and Bohemia, 152 adults and 136 subadults, were analysed. Demographic, pathological and metric data were recorded and evaluated, and compared with previously published data for contemporaneous populations in order to create a more comprehensive representation of the populations in the area. The results suggest several differences between the Neolithic and the following periods, mostly as regards health status. Higher dietary and environmental stress was indicated in the Neolithic period, as suggested by lower mortality peak (especially of females and subadults) and about 5cm shorter stature, and generally worse health status of Neolithic population when compared to the Chalcolithic and EBA individuals. The Neolithic is also the only period where females were more numerous than males. Such a trend is quite common in the Neolithic of the study region. This may be a result of increased migration of Neolithic females, as raids for wives are suggested to have been practiced. As indicated by both the osteological and archaeological record, one of the sites examined, Svodín, could have been a site of contemporary elites and their family members. Chalcolithic populations revealed differences in cranial shape, being mesocephalic (medium-headed) or brachycephalic (short-headed), whereas both the Neolithic and the EBA populations were dolichocephalic (long-headed). Differences in male and female cranial features suggest a possible mixing of indigenous and incoming populations. Such results may contribute to the ongoing discussion about the ‘foreignness‘ of Chalcolithic Bell Beaker people in the area. Traumatic lesions suggest that males were more physically active than females in all three periods, including violent encounters. Even though violence was recorded in all three periods, especially in the western part of the region, and the intensity and brutality of the assaults appears to increase in the Chalcolithic and culminating in the EBA. In addition, poorer health status of EBA children was recorded, possibly related to more marked social differentiation in the period. In general, poorer health was implied for the prehistoric populations of today’s Slovakia. The results of this study can serve as the basis for future research and contribute to a more comprehensive image of lifestyle and development of prehistoric populations in the study area.
31
Heidkamp, Blair. "Spinning through Time: An Analysis of Pottery Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze I Spindle Whorl Assemblages from the Southern Levant." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1535374272535722.
Full text
32
Merkl, Matthias Bernd. "Bell beaker copper use in central Europe : a distinctive tradition? : a re-evaluation of the composition of copper artefacts and its effects on the properties of the metal." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5499.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is concerned with the manufacture of copper artefacts by the users of Bell Beaker pottery in the Eastern Bell Beaker group in central Europe, and addresses the question: did these metalworkers have distinct metallurgical abilities, techniques and preferences that set them apart from contemporary and earlier metal-using groups in the same region? Can we talk of a 'Bell Beaker' metallurgical tradition? Despite the long history of research into the so-called Bell Beaker phenomenon, there has been no definite answer to this question. The composition of copper artefacts is influenced by the production process and the composition of the ore, and so two artefacts that share a similar composition reflect a metallurgical similarity. Artefact composition is defined by variations in trace element impurities that are contained in the copper. Trace elements, however, do not only point to metallurgical processes: they also affect the physical and chemical properties of the metal. Consequently, this thesis aims to clarify whether the distribution of the Bell Beaker phenomenon throughout central Europe and its dissociation from other archaeologically visible groups there is associated with the use of a specific metallurgical tradition. It will be argued that if metal workers of other archaeological groups of the 3rd millennium BC, such as the Corded Ware complex, dealt with different types of copper, having different properties, this would give an insight into the relationship between those people and the Bell Beaker phenomenon in central Europe. In order to explore these issues, a database of some 1943 trace element analyses of Chalcolithic copper objects from central Europe has been created, then statistically grouped and evaluated according to two questions: firstly, were metalworkers selecting specific types of copper for their physical and chemical properties? Secondly, are Eastern Bell Beaker copper artefacts made from specific types of copper? The result of the statistical evaluation has demonstrated that, generally, copper artefacts with higher impurity levels are more common throughout the 3rd millennium BC than in earlier periods. In particular, higher concentrations of arsenic, antimony, lead and nickel (> c. 2%) indicate that these types of copper have improved properties (e.g. hardness, tensile strength, malleability). Furthermore, with the appearance of archaeological remains classified as belonging to the Earliest Bronze Age (e.g. the Blechkreis and the Nitra group), there is an almost exclusive use of types of copper that contain even greater quantities of antimony, nickel and arsenic. These types of copper may have been preferred by metalworkers because their superior tensile strength and hardness improves the quality an artefact. It therefore appears that the metallurgical properties of copper were gradually improved throughout the Chalcolithic in central Europe. It seems that there was a network distributing copper over the area of this research, because the types of copper used by the Eastern Bell Beaker group do not show great regional variation. The uniformity of the archaeological records of the Eastern Bell Beaker group is also reflected in their metalworking tradition. However, it was for the first possible to clarify that the people of the Eastern Bell Beaker group did not deal with a specific type of copper compared with other archaeological groups. Bell Beaker copper types do not differ from those generally used throughout the 3rd millennium BC, albeit that only a small set of Bell Beaker artefacts (chiefly daggers and awls) has provided trace element analyses. As neither regional nor cultural specific metallurgy can be detected for this period, it is argued that the Eastern Bell Beaker group is – at least in metallurgical terms – connected with other local communities in central Europe. Consequently, metallurgy cannot be cited as a defining factor of archaeological groups in central Europe during the 3rd millennium BC. In terms of the Corded Ware and Bell Beaker groups, metallurgical expertise was probably at the same level of knowledge. Hence, even if the types of copper artefact that were manufactured were ‘culture-specific’, the manufacturing techniques and the access to resources were not restricted to a single archaeological group. It can therefore cautiously be suggested that, between c. 2700 and 2000 BC, metallurgists – perhaps as itinerant craftsmen – produced copper artefacts according to the demands of their ‘customers’.
33
Smith, Stefan Lorenz. "Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age settlement patterns in the Greater Western Jazira : trajectories of sedentism in the semi-arid Syrian steppe." Thesis, Durham University, 2015. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11404/.
Full textAbstract:
In the well-researched archaeological landscape of Northern Mesopotamia, there exists a large region of little-to-no previous investigation: the Greater Western Jazira (GWJ) of northeastern Syria. This thesis takes a geographically holistic approach to investigating the GWJ, focussed on the crucial time of the late 5th to 3rd millennium BC. This period saw an initial abandonment of sedentism in the steppe during the Late Chalcolithic, and subsequent rapid settlement growth with large urban centres in the Early Bronze Age. These dynamics are examined by collating diverse ground truth data from four excavations, three surveys, and several other investigations. These are integrated with extensive remote sensing research, involving the systematic analysis of all areas of the GWJ using satellite imagery and elevation data, processed through a GIS database. During the course of this research, a refined categorisation of heterogeneous varieties of the large fortified tell settlement type commonly termed "Kranzhügel" is developed and implemented. The evidence gathered shows a complex system of sedentary habitation in the steppe, with a total of 302 sites likely dating to the period in question, 160 of which were newly identified by this thesis. Analyses carried out on site densities, settlement sizes, grain production, supporting settlements for centres, and site alignments allow several economic systems to be proposed. These show that various areas of the GWJ not only underwent very different sedentarisation (and possibly nomadisation) processes, but also owed their existence to both indigenous developments and external forces; and their survival to diverse interdependent practices including agro-pastoralism and trade. Specifically, two distinct trajectories of early and mid-EBA settlement are identified in the north and the centre-south of the region, respectively. Placing this in a wider context, it is shown that the GWJ was an integral part of the Northern Mesopotamian economic and political landscape, belying its reputation as a "marginal" area. Thus it becomes evident that this region demands greater integration into analyses and theories concerning Near Eastern archaeology.
34
Rutter, Graham Piers. "Basaltic-rock procurement systems in the southern levant : case studies from the Chalcolithic-Early Bronze I and the Late Bronze-Iron Ages." Thesis, Durham University, 2003. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3719/.
Full textAbstract:
This study describes the investigation of the intra-regional procurement of basaltic artefacts within the southern Levant. Previous provenance studies, geological theory and provenance theory were all examined. It was concluded that the analysis of basaltic rocks could be best undertaken using the ICP-MS analysis of the rare earth and high field strength elements (RET and HFSE) of whole rock samples. Existing outcrop analyses were compiled into a database, allowing their use in this and future provenance studies, although more samples were required for complete coverage. The existing rchaeological literature was reviewed, showing that there was a lack of data on basaltic artefacts, hampering efforts to understand how the procurement systems operated. New artefactual and geological samples were collected and analysed for trace elements using ICP-MS. A new provenancing methodology was developed and, using the database of analyses, the artefacts were provenanced using the REE and HFSE. Artefacts analysed by previous studies were reassigned. The majority of artefacts originated from three main sources: the North Jordan Valley. The Galilee and, most unexpectedly, Mount Hermon. This has implications for the history of the region. Which were briefly discussed. It was also noted that there was little data on either differences in the physical properties between different rock types or on the human-induced weathering of basaltic rock. Samples of different rock types were tested using the uniaxial compressive strength test: it is suggested that physical properties influenced past raw material choices. Future directions for research include the routine analysis and publication of basaltic artel~1cts during post-excavation work and the extension of the provenance study by gathering more samples and utilising advances in analytical technology. Furthermore, the new provenance methodology has the potential to be adapted for widespread use.
35
Akrmawi, Mervat Hisham. "A multi-analytical study of ceramics from the Chalcolithic Period and the Early Bronze Age IB from Tell El-Far’ah North – Palestine." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/31405.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT:
The focus of this work is the characterization of ceramic fragments unearthed more than 60
years ago from the archaeological site of Tell El Far’ah North (west Bank), dated back to the
Chalcolithic period (4500-3200 BC) and the Early Bronze Age I (3100-2900 BC). The ancient
ceramics found at Tell El Far’ah North are considered fundamental archaeological material
remains in reconstructing the cultural development. Indeed, they can provide insight into
socio-economic backgrounds through their material culture and technological knowledge.
Mineralogical, petrographic and chemical analyses are applied by means of optical
Microscopy (OM), X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy
coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The aim of this study is the
identification of petro-fabrics that may allow the assessment of the nature of the raw material
used and their provenance, in addition to the technological level, such as the firing
temperature.
36
Papailiopoulos, Dimitris G. "The application of geographic information systems to archaeological intra-site recording and analysis : a case study of the Kissonerga Chalcolithic Site, Cyprus." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/20087.
Full textAbstract:
The present thesis intends to offer a methodological approach to the application of Geographic Information Systems in Archaeology. The aim is to focus this application on single site excavations and provide a fully integrated system which is capable of storing and processing the archaeological data from the beginning of the excavation to its final publication. A comprehensive review of the history and development of the main GIS applications in archaeology is provided in chapter I. Chapter II is a concise presentation of the site of Kissonerga, Cyprus where the system was implemented. Chapter III includes an overview of the concepts around which the system was built as well as the system's levels of operations. Chapter IV discusses the construction of the database structure which stores and manipulates the primary archaeological data. Chapter V provides the methodology for the capture of the site plans in digital form. The methods for analyzing the archaeological information with the aid of a GIS are presented in chapter VI. The main effort has been placed in linking the GIS with the database for the efficient exchange of information in an integrating fashion. The ultimate aim of each excavation project is to publish the results of its activities. Therefore, chapter VII discusses a number of ways in which computer systems can assist the task. Finally, chapter VIII offers a critical appraisal of the system as well as some suggestions for its improvement in the future.
37
Gardner, Sara Lee. "The sun, moon and stars of the southern Levant at Gezer and Megiddo: Cultural astronomy in Chalcolithic/Early and Middle Bronze Ages." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280233.
Full textAbstract:
Astronomical images are found on monumental structures and decorative art, and metaphorically in seasonal myths, and are documented by calendars. In Israel and the southern Levant, images of the sun, the moon, and the stars were common decorating motifs. They were found on walls, pottery, and seals and date to as early as the Chalcolithic period; for example, the wall painting of a star at Teleilat Ghassul (North 1961). This dissertation establishes that the people of the Levant were aware of the apparent movement of the sun, and this will be discussed in Chapter 4. They began recording through representation drawings, astronomical phenomena no later than the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age and continued to do so late into the Middle Bronze Age. The argument moves beyond the simple use of symbols to the use of images to represent constellations, with the focus on the constellation Leo in Chapter 5. Furthermore, the use of astronomy as a power and political tool is also suggested in Chapter 6. Nonetheless, the primary purpose that is addressed here is the tendency in Syro-Palestinian archaeology has been to attribute technological evidence found in the northern and southern Levant as diffused from Egypt or Assyria, particularly astronomy. This dissertation firmly establishes that astronomy was used in the southern Levant before any significant contact with the civilizations of Egypt or Assyria.
38
Forouzan, Firoozeh. "Small Finds From Chogha Gavaneh Site in the Islamabad Plain, Central Zagros Mountains, Iran." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2010. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/anthro_theses/46.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines small finds from the site of Chogha Gavaneh, Iran, including zoomorphic clay figurines, geometric-shaped objects, and sling bullets in order to deter-mine if they served an economic function during the Early Chalcolithic period (ca. 5000-4000 B.C.E.). A total of 104 animal figurines, sling bullets, and geometric-shaped objects have been found at Chogha Gavaneh. This research challenges previous archaeological interpretations of animal figurines that have interpreted them as being magical or lucky objects for hunting and religious rituals, or for use as game pieces, educational objects, or toys. Through the use of XRF (x-ray fluorescence spectrometry) analysis and the chaine opératoire approach, I suggest, contrary to the conventional wisdom, that some of these clay objects might represent another kind of social practice and may have had an economic function.
39
Longford, Catherine. "Plant economy of the Kura-Araxes : a comparative analysis of agriculture in the Near East from the Chalcolithic to the Middle Bronze Age." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2015. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10675/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the nature of the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon by examining archaeobotanical evidence from sites across the Near East from the Chalcolithic to Middle Bronze Age. Using the concept of food as material culture, this thesis explores the cultural integrity of the Kura-Araxes horizon and the extent of mobile pastoralism in the Kura-Araxes economy. This thesis presents a detailed archaeobotanical study of a Kura-Araxes site, Sos Höyük from northeastern Anatolia, which dates from the Late Chalcolithic to Middle Bronze Age (3500-1500B.C.). From the archaeobotanical evidence, Sos Höyük appears to have been a settled agro-pastoral community. The thesis also investigates the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon through a comparative analysis of crop remains from Kura-Araxes and other Near Eastern sites from 6100-1500 B.C. Crop data from 117 sites, including 21 Kura-Araxes sites, are compared using correspondence analysis. Over the period studied there is a decline of in the proportion of glume wheat at sites across the Near East. In some regions this is accompanied by an increase in barley remains and in other areas by an increase in free threshing wheat remains. The shift from glume wheat to barley at sites in low rainfall areas appears to have been related to climatic change at c.2200 B.C. The increase in free threshing wheat appears directly related to the spread of the Kura-Araxes cultural horizon. At Kura-Araxes sites there is a preference for hexaploid free threshing wheat that distinguishes Kura-Araxes sites from non-Kura-Araxes sites in every region that Kura-Araxes material culture is present. The distinctive crop signature of Kura- Araxes sites supports the interpretation of the Kura-Araxes horizon as a shared cultural identity. Archaeobotanical evidence also indicates that the Kura-Araxes practiced settled agropastoralism rather than transhumant pastoralism. The expansion of the Kura-Araxes across the Near East may have been motivated by the search for new agricultural land.
40
Sevketoglu, M. H. "Archaeological field survey of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement sites in Kyrenia District, North Cyprus : systematic surface collection and the interpretation of artefact scatters." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.661755.
Full textAbstract:
For nearly 24 years, the archaeology of northern Cyprus has not been investigated as thoroughly as that in the southern part of the island. All foreign projects, which are responsible for the substantial majority of the archaeological work in Cyprus, are active in the south. This has created a major imbalance in our knowledge of the prehistory of the island. The new discoveries in the south have advanced our knowledge of the prehistoric period in Cyprus in many ways, but at the same time the lack of archaeological work in the north makes these potentially biased, and theoretical approaches cannot be confirmed without knowledge of the whole island. This thesis is an attempt to narrow this gap by applying a survey method that has not been applied on such a large scale in Cyprus before, with new interpretative aims and methods. The period of interest is from the Aceramic Neolithic to the end of the Chalcolithic, approximately 7,500 - 2,800 BC. The survey was carried out in Kyrenia district, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, over two field seasons. A total of twenty-eight sites was selected according to their surface richness from Stanley Price's gazetteer of sites published in 1979. Out of these sites twenty-two had surface finds, three had no surface finds and three were not found. In addition to these sites two previously unknown sites were discovered and surveyed. The method of survey was two-fold. The first was intensive total surface collection using a five metre grid, with results fed into a mapping programme to create scatter maps showing artefact distribution. The second was extensive area survey, which involved systematic field walking accompanied by surface collection.
41
Şevketoğlu, Müge. "Archaeological field survey of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement sites in Kyrenia district, North Cyprus : systematic surface collection and the interpretation of artefact scatters /." Oxford : British archaeological reports, 2000. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb37198497m.
Full text
42
Alkhasoneh, Samah Jazi Faisal. "Plasters of the late chalcolithic 3-4 (3800 - 3400 BCE) from the site of Arslantepe. A contribution to the analysis of archittectural techniques and practices." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/27299.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT:
A multi-analytical approach focus on the archaeometric characterization of plaster from temple C, and two elite houses belong to the late chalcolithic 3-4 (3800-3400 B.C), period VII in Arslantepe – Turkey, a site located in the Malatya plain, 5 km away from the city center and 15 km away from the Euphrates right bank, is done using three different methods: optical microscopy (OM) in thin section under polarizing microscopy to define petrographic features in terms of plaster fabric texture and structure as well as the type, percentage, ratio grain size and distribution of the added aggregate and inclusions Micro-morphological analysis has been carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to define the fabric , inclusions and the secondary product in the pores . a mineralogical analysis by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) has been carried out also to identify the quantitative and qualitative mineralogical composition of the samples. In a result a marly limestone has been determine as a plaster raw material which probably came from two different source (local and other imported from different part of Malatya plain). Moreover, different aggregate selection, and diffirent technological levels were also detected in the samples, that are probably related to the level or the purpose (function) of the buildings. An evidence of a re-plastering process was also detected in the two elite houses, which probably refer to a routine maintenance process.
43
Kaspari-Marghussian, Armineh. "Reassessing the prehistoric ceramics of the Late Neolithic and Transitional Chalcolithic periods in the Central Plateau of Iran : archaeometric characterisation, typological classification and stylistic phylogenetic analyses." Thesis, Durham University, 2017. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12355/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis introduce new approaches into the understanding of chronology and cultural-technological development of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements within the Central Plateau of Iran through the study of the evolution of ceramic craft specialisation between ca. 5700-4800 BC by analysing newly excavated pottery from the different three areas of this region: the Tehran, Qazvin and Kashan plains. Despite having been investigated for almost 90 years, the prehistoric ceramics of the Central Iranian Plateau have mainly been studied in a basic manner, based on the study of colour and decoration of pottery as the criteria to identify, characterise, and compare the various pottery types of the region with little attention to technology and production. In the present thesis a multidisciplinary research method has been adopted by utilising scientific analysis technics such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as typological classification and more advanced methods such as phylogenetic analyses in studying and characterisation the pottery. Based on the results of scientific analyses as well as the archaeological data this research will provide valuable information on the course of evolution and the origin of the changes observed in ceramic technology, and will determine the level of specialisation and standardisation in the pottery-making, as well as the mode of production in these prehistoric sites. Through comparison of the pottery characteristics from different sites of the same tradition it will also assess the similarity of sources of raw materials and the techniques of shaping and firing the pottery. Utilising the valuable information gathered by the aforementioned methods this thesis represents a more comprehensive and reliable information concerning the economic and cultural connections and interactions of the prehistoric communities living in this region in the Late Neolithic and the Transitional Chalcolithic periods.
44
Abe, Masashi. "The Development of Urbanism and Pastoral Nomads in the Southern Levant -Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age Stone Tool Production Industries and Flint Mines in the Jafr Basin, Southern Jordan-." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.490802.
Full textAbstract:
'The development of urbanism' has been one of the most important topics since V. G Childe's seminal works. This paper will discuss the impact of the development of urbanism III the Southern Levant on pastoral nomads using archaeological data from the Jafr Basin, Southern Jordan. The Jafr Basin is one of the best flint sources in the Southern Levant and yields high quality Eocene flint. In the Early Bronze Age when a number of fortified urban settlements appeared in the Southern Levant, pastoral nomads in the Jafr Basin started intensive flint mining and stone tool production of tabular scrapers. Tabular scrapers were distributed from the basin in large quantities to urban settlements and farming villages. Pastoral nomads in the Negev and Sinai also started utilizing desert resources for urban settelements. It is likely that in the Early Bronze Age the arid areas were economically integrated with the moister zones to a greater degree than before. The development of urbanism had the effect of making pastoral nomads more to\\l1 and market-oriented. In the Early Bronze Age, a variety of desert products were distributed to sedentary settlements by pastoral nomads. Meanwhile, Early Bronze Age pastoral nomads probably became more dependent for living necessities and luxuries such as cereals, foods, vegetables and clothes on markets in urban communities.
45
Durgun, Pinar. "The Genesis Of Early State Formation In The Aegean Prehistoric Cultures: Liman Tepe And Bakla Tepe As A Case Study." Master's thesis, METU, 2012. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12615143/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The Izmir Region is located in the heart of the Western Anatolian coastline and forms a natural bridge between the Anatolian mainland and the Western Aegean. The region is connected to Central Anatolia through deep valleys and is linked to the Aegean Sea via many harbor sites along the coast.
The architectural features and the other remains (such as pottery, metal objects etc.) found in and around those architectural context can provide the information about the genesis of the urbanization. With reference to the fortifications and bastions may show us that societies in question are concerned with some political problems. This study aims to understand how the scale of architecture changed from the Late Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze Age in the comperative basis of Aegean context particularly in Bakla Tepe and Liman Tepe.
On the basis of architectural differences, two distinct community types may be postulated for Early Bronze Age sites in the Aegean. The fortified coastal site of Liman Tepe is an example of a centrally administrated early urban community with a strong economy. Bakla Tepe represents an affluent inland village or small town community interacting with large centers.
46
Er, Mehmet Bilgi. "Mineralogy And Production Technology Of Degirmentepe (malatya) Pottery." Master's thesis, METU, 2011. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12613696/index.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
A series of pottery samples provided from the survey investigations and excavations from Degirmentepe Mound (Malatya), belonging to Chalcolithic (Ubaid), Early Bronze and Iron Ages, were investigated by petrographic and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses to determine their textures, mineralogical compositions and microstructures. The sample microstructures and chemical (semiquantitative) compositions were also studied by scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM - EDX). The chemical analyses of some samples were further investigated by inductively coupled plasma &ndashoptical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Almost all samples were observed to consist of rock fragments, originating from metamorphic and igneous rocks, although larger grain sizes and higher grain to matrix ratios are recorded for Chalcolithic Age samples compared to those samples belonging to Iron Age. XRD investigations on representative samples of the three periods, revealed high abundances of quartz, feldspar, and pyroxene group minerals in all samples, while the presence of hematite and mica minerals were observed both in Chalcolithic and Iron Age samples, but underlying the use of micaceous raw materials mostly in Iron Age. In the XRD traces of the investigated sherds of Chalcolithic and Iron Ages, the absence of clay fractions both in the bulk and oriented samples, supports a minimum firing temperature of around 800- 850 °
C, while the presence of mullite phase both in XRD and SEM &ndash
EDX results showed the possible use of high firing temperatures, in the range of 950&ndash
1050°
C, starting from Chalcolithic Age. Chemical compositions of major oxides obtained ICP &ndash
OES analyses exhibit similar compositions both for Chalcolithic and Iron Age samples. Few exceptions observed may indicate possible use of different raw material and/or different manufacturing technique.
47
Bezzeghoud, Maissa. "Aplicação de técnicas geofísicas não invasivas à prospeção de sítios pré-históricos do Alentejo: 3 casos de estudo." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/28105.
Full textAbstract:
Cada vez mais os arqueólogos se apercebem que existe uma necessidade de
estudar os sítios arqueológicos recorrendo a métodos não destrutivos e não
intrusivos, dando importância às técnicas de prospeção geofísicas, em particular ao
Georradar. Este é, na atualidade, uma das metodologias geofísicas mais utilizadas
a nível mundial para o estudo arqueológico. Em Portugal a utilização destas
metodologias para fins arqueológicos (e por arqueólogos) está ainda a dar os
primeiros passos.
Este trabalho pretende mostrar as potencialidades destas técnicas e incentivar os
arqueólogos nacionais a abrirem as suas portas a este tipo de recursos, não apenas
na qualidade de clientes, mas sobretudo como autores.
O presente trabalho descreve a aplicação do Georradar em três estações
arqueológicas neolíticas e calcolíticas do Alentejo Central: Menir do Patalou (Nisa);
Menir do Monte da Caeira (Vimieiro); Povoado de Santa Cruz 13 (Brotas).
Mais especificamente este estudo tem como objetivos: a descoberta da localização
dos alvéolos de encaixe de dois menires; a descoberta das áreas de maior
abundância de estruturas pertencentes a um povoado calcolítico, com o propósito
de planificar futuras escavações; a definição de uma metodologia de aquisição de
dados geofísicos mais adequados a sítios arqueológicos neolíticos e calcolíticos; e
a definição de uma metodologia de interpretação dos dados adquiridos em campo; Abstract:
Application of non-invasive geophysical techniques to the
exploration of prehistoric sites in Alentejo: 3 cases studies
More and more archaeologists are realizing that there is a need to study
archaeological sites using non-destructive and non-intrusive methods, giving
importance to geophysical prospecting techniques, in particular GPR. This is
currently one of the most widely used geophysical methodologies in the world for
archaeological studies. In Portugal the use of these methodologies for
archaeological purposes and by archaeologists is still taking its first steps.
This thesis intends to show the potential of these techniques and to encourage
national archaeologists to open their doors to this type of resources, not only as
clients but mainly as authors.
This paper describes the application of Georadar in the following three Neolithic and
Chalcolithic archaeological stations in Central Alentejo: Menir do Patalou (Nisa);
Menir do Monte da Caeira (Vimieiro); Povoado de Santa Cruz 13 (Brotas).
More specifically this study has as the following objectives: the discovery of the
location of the two menhirs alveoli; the discovery of the most abundant areas of
structures belonging to a chalcolithic settlement, with the purpose of planning future
excavations; the definition of a methodology of geophysical data acquisition more
adequate to Neolithic and Chalcolithic archaeological sites; and the definition of a
methodology for the interpretation of the data acquired in the field.
48
Defrasne, Claudia. "Images gravées et corps de pierre : Fragments d'ontologie dans les Alpes centrales du IIIe millénaire av.n.è." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2013. http://www.theses.fr/2013AIXM3103.
Full textAbstract:
Les relations des sociétés préhistoriques à leur environnement constituent un aspect essentiel à leur compréhension. Cet engagement envers le monde s’exprime au travers des pratiques rituelles qui en dévoilent des accès autrement inaccessibles. Les Alpes centrales du IIIe millénaire av.n.è., insérées dans une Europe en mutation (traction animale et métallurgie du cuivre), ont livré un nombre considérable d’artefacts cognitifs. Stèles, blocs d’effondrement et parois gravés s’associent, au sein de sites cérémoniels à des dépôts de pierres aux formes allusives et lithologies particulières, à des dépôts d’objets, ainsi qu’aux résidus de l’activité métallurgique. L’iconographie gravée associe images d’objets nouveaux (poignards et haches en cuivre, hallebardes en silex ou en cuivre, objets textiles), d’ornements corporels, d’action aratoire et d’un nombre considérable de figurations animales. Les usages de la pierre, du métal, de l’araire et les interactions entretenues avec les espèces animales offrent différents canaux d’investigation des relations au monde des communautés chalcolithiques centre-alpines.L’objectif énoncé nécessite l’usage d’une analyse structurale des images seule à même de révéler des articulations essentielles des systèmes graphiques dont certains aspects sont ensuite interrogés à la lumière d’autres données archéologiques. L’image qui résulte de cette étude est celle de communautés pour lesquelles l’environnement ne semble pas constituer une réalité objectivée mais apparaît partie prenante des réalités socialesThe study of interactions between prehistoric human societies and their environments is a key area of research. This engagement with the world is expressed through ritual practices that provide access to otherwise inaccessible aspects of human culture. The Central Alps of the third millennium BC, situated within a European context that was undergoing important changes (animal traction and copper metallurgy) produced a significant number of cognitive artifacts. On ceremonial sites, engraved steles, rock faces and erratic blocs were associated with deposits of stones with allusive forms and specific lithologies together with objects. Some of these ceremonial site have also produced residues of the metallurgical activity.The engraved iconography combines images of new objects (copper daggers and axes, flint or copper halberds, textiles), body ornaments, plouging, and a considerable number of animal figures. The use of stone, metal, ploughs, and interactions with animals offer different means to access to relationships between alpine chalcolithic communities and their environment.The cited goal requires the use of a structural analysis of the images in order to reveal the essential aspects of the graphic systems. The Results are then compared with other archaeological data. The picture resulting from this study reveals communities in which the environment does not seem to be an objectified reality but an element that intersects with social realities
49
Hassan, Fazeli Nashli. "An investigation of craft specialisation and cultural complexity of the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in the Tehran Plain : an archaeological investigation of the dynamic relationship between artefact standardisation, manufacture and increasing social complexity in a sub-regional context." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.567580.
Full text
50
Baudouin, Emmanuel. "L’architecture en Syro-Mésopotamie et dans le Caucase de la fin du 7e à la fin du 5e millénaire av. J.-C." Thesis, Sorbonne université, 2018. http://www.theses.fr/2018SORUL033.
Full textAbstract:
À partir de la fin du 7e millénaire, l’architecture connaît en Syro-Mésopotamie et dans le Caucase un essor considérable mais selon des rythmes différents. Ce développement différencié est probablement lié aux relations qu’ont entretenues les communautés de ces régions. La teneur de ces relations est probablement multiple. Les échanges techniques sont l’élément primordial pour l’architecture : ils permettent de déterminer si les communautés du Caucase se sont installées de manière autonome au début du 6e millénaire ou si elles ont profité de l’expérience technique de celles de Syro-Mésopotamie, de comprendre l’évolution de l’architecture « complexe » au Samarra et à l’Obeid dès la fin du 7e millénaire et de mesurer l’impact social de l’expansion obeidienne dès la seconde moitié du 6e millénaire. Après une présentation de la méthodologie, où nous définissons les termes employés et la méthode d’analyse, les données archéologiques sont présentées sous la forme synthétique d’une étude typologique selon trois axes : les matériaux de construction, les techniques de mise en œuvre et la morphologie architecturale. Enfin, une analyse croisée des données permet de considérer l’architecture dans une perspective culturelle, géographique et chronologique. Le milieu du 6e millénaire marque un tournant dans les échanges techniques et les relations culturelles entre ces deux régions : auparavant, ces échanges apparaissent diffus dans les régions situées au nord de la Mésopotamie centrale. Ensuite, l’expansion obeidienne entraîne une homogénéisation progressive des techniques dans l’ensemble du bassin syro-mésopotamien, à laquelle se sont greffés emprunts techniques et adaptations régionalesFrom the end of the 7th millennium, architecture in Syro-Mesopotamia and Caucasus achieves a major rise but under different rhythms. The content of these relationships is with no doubt numerous. Technical exchanges are the fundamental element when it comes to study architecture: they can help us determine if Caucasus communities settled independently at the beginning of the 6th millennium or if they benefited from the technical experience of the Syro-Mesopomatian communities, understand complex architecture’s evolution during Samarran and Ubaid from the end of the 7th millennium and estimate the social impact of the spread of Ubaid from the second half of the 6th millenium. After a presentation of the methodology used, where we define the terms employed and the analysis method, archeological data are introduced under a typological study developed through three approaches : material, architectural techniques and morphology. Then, a cross analysis of the data can help up consider architecture in a cultural, geographic and chronological perspective. The middle of the 6th millennium represents a turning point into technical exchanges and cultural relationships between these two regions: before that, these exchanges come out as diffuse in the northern regions of the Central Mesopotamia. Then Ubaid expansion leads to a progressive technical homogenisation in all the Syro-Mesopotamian basin, in which borrowed technics and regional adaptations where added