Archaeologist, research associate and lecturer at the Institute for Archaeological sciences at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Dpt. Archaeology and Cultural History of the Near East. Participation in various excavation and survey projects in Europe, Oman, Syria, Turkey and Iraq
Non-calcareous Notlhmesapotamian Metallic Ware is a special ceramic ware type af the Early Bronze... more Non-calcareous Notlhmesapotamian Metallic Ware is a special ceramic ware type af the Early Bronze Age (2gOA_ 23aa BC) found in Noftheastern Syria ancJ Sautheastern Anatalia. 21 selected patsherds from various sites in Noftheastern Syria and Southeastern Anatolia were in_ vestigated chemically using X-ray fluorescence in arder to localize their clay source. ln the present study, the analytical data were evaluated fram the viewpoint of sediment geochemistry to reconstruct the possibte parent rock lithology af the clay. Ihe resu/ts suggest that the clay material for Metallic Ware derived from sedimen_ tary rocks with felsic chemical affinity. Comparison of chemical compasition of the ceramics with clay and pot tery sherds, bath derivatives of sedimentary racks outcropping in the Plit rge Massif area. situated south of Malatya and Elazry in the nofthern pai of the distribution arca of the Nofthmesapotamian Metallic Ware, show a chemical affinity comparable with non-calcareous Notlhmesop...
Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Me... more Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware and clay samples collected from southeastern Anatolia and northeastern Syria with a view to determining the provenance of this characteristic ceramic type, in particular of its non-calcareous variant. The non-calcareous and calcareous variants of North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, which have been defined in previous archaeo-metric studies, show a clear distinction in their Sr isotopic signatures. The non-calcareous group is characterised by high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios, whereas the calcareous variant has much lower values. The Sr isotopic signature of the non-calcareous group shows similarities with clay samples from the Pütürge Massif area in southeast Anatolia. Combining the results of the present study with previous investigations, it is thought that the raw material used for the production of non-calcareous North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware could have been originated from the southern part of the Pütürge Massif area. Furthermore, this study proves that Sr isotope analysis is a useful tool for the characterisation and identification of archaeological ceramic provenance.
The Southeast Anatolia Project (SOAP) of Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main is focused on the... more The Southeast Anatolia Project (SOAP) of Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main is focused on the cultural classification and development of an area adjacent to the north of the Syrian‑Turkish border during the Early Bronze Age. In the light of the archaeological research in the past few years in the ‘Kranzhügel’ area in North‑East Syria (with its major centre Tell Chuēra), the SOAP is aimed at investigating the distribution to the north and the origin of its most prominent cultural characteristics, represented by circular cities and by the use of a special ceramic ware, North‑Mesopotamian Metallic Ware.
For this purpose, archaeological and archaeometrical means of research were combined to prove homogeneity and continuity of these features within the area of investigation between the Taurus and North‑East Syria.
In addition to surveys and both archaeological and chemical studies on the pottery, clay samples were also taken from places throughout the area in order to receive reference data for determining the location of the original clay source of North ‑ Mesopotamian Metallic Ware. The article presents the basic considerations which led to the project and some of the preliminary results.
Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Me... more Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware and clay samples collected from southeastern Anatolia and northeastern Syria with a view to determining the provenance of this characteristic ceramic type, in particular of its non-calcareous variant. The non-calcareous and calcareous variants of North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, which have been defined in previous archaeo-metric studies, show a clear distinction in their Sr isotopic signatures. The non-calcareous group is characterised by high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios, whereas the calcareous variant has much lower values. The Sr isotopic signature of the non-calcareous group shows similarities with clay samples from the Pütürge Massif area in southeast Anatolia. Combining the results of the present study with previous investigations, it is thought that the raw material used for the production of non-calcareous North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware could have been originated from the southern part of the Pütürge Massif area. Furthermore, this study proves that Sr isotope analysis is a useful tool for the characterisation and identification of archaeological ceramic provenance.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/authorsrights This paper is a first report on the chemical analyses carried out on samples of North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware from Southeast Anatolia and on clay samples from the Pütürge Massif area, southeast of Malatya (Turkey), collected in the framework of the Southeast Anatolia Project (SOAP) of the Goethe University of Frankfurt/M. The chemical data obtained by applying wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectrometer were used to locate the provenance area of the raw clay source of non-calcareous North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, which is a characteristic major feature of the population groups settling in Southeast Anatolia and Northeast Syria in the 3rd millennium B.C. The analytical results show that the raw clay source of the pottery derived from metamorphic rocks with felsic affinity (e.g., schist/slate or similar parent rocks). It is suggested that the similar metamorphic rocks exposed in the Pütürge Massif area may be the source for the non-calcareous clay of the North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware.
Introduction Among the Early Bronze Age pottery of Upper Mesopotamia and adjacent areas we find s... more Introduction Among the Early Bronze Age pottery of Upper Mesopotamia and adjacent areas we find some special wares which due to their characteristic appearance have received considerable attention in the archaeological literature. The term " ware " is an ambiguous concept which is used in various ways by various authors and at various sites. 1 Every scholar who aims to study ancient Near Eastern pottery on a regional level has to deal with difficulties in correlating pottery from different archaeological sites. 2 For some decades scientific analysis providing reproducible data has been applied in pottery studies to overcome the problems of semantic and typological confusion. This chapter illustrates both the possibilities and the limitations of this archaeometric approach, since traditional typology and chemical or petrographic analysis produce different sets of data with sometimes very different typological borders. While some wares can be clearly defined by their chemical composition, other methods of archaeological typology are based on vessels of distinct decoration, surface treatment, geographic distribution, and chronology.
Non-calcareous Notlhmesapotamian Metallic Ware is a special ceramic ware type af the Early Bronze... more Non-calcareous Notlhmesapotamian Metallic Ware is a special ceramic ware type af the Early Bronze Age (2gOA_ 23aa BC) found in Noftheastern Syria ancJ Sautheastern Anatalia. 21 selected patsherds from various sites in Noftheastern Syria and Southeastern Anatolia were in_ vestigated chemically using X-ray fluorescence in arder to localize their clay source. ln the present study, the analytical data were evaluated fram the viewpoint of sediment geochemistry to reconstruct the possibte parent rock lithology af the clay. Ihe resu/ts suggest that the clay material for Metallic Ware derived from sedimen_ tary rocks with felsic chemical affinity. Comparison of chemical compasition of the ceramics with clay and pot tery sherds, bath derivatives of sedimentary racks outcropping in the Plit rge Massif area. situated south of Malatya and Elazry in the nofthern pai of the distribution arca of the Nofthmesapotamian Metallic Ware, show a chemical affinity comparable with non-calcareous Notlhmesop...
Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Me... more Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware and clay samples collected from southeastern Anatolia and northeastern Syria with a view to determining the provenance of this characteristic ceramic type, in particular of its non-calcareous variant. The non-calcareous and calcareous variants of North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, which have been defined in previous archaeo-metric studies, show a clear distinction in their Sr isotopic signatures. The non-calcareous group is characterised by high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios, whereas the calcareous variant has much lower values. The Sr isotopic signature of the non-calcareous group shows similarities with clay samples from the Pütürge Massif area in southeast Anatolia. Combining the results of the present study with previous investigations, it is thought that the raw material used for the production of non-calcareous North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware could have been originated from the southern part of the Pütürge Massif area. Furthermore, this study proves that Sr isotope analysis is a useful tool for the characterisation and identification of archaeological ceramic provenance.
The Southeast Anatolia Project (SOAP) of Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main is focused on the... more The Southeast Anatolia Project (SOAP) of Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main is focused on the cultural classification and development of an area adjacent to the north of the Syrian‑Turkish border during the Early Bronze Age. In the light of the archaeological research in the past few years in the ‘Kranzhügel’ area in North‑East Syria (with its major centre Tell Chuēra), the SOAP is aimed at investigating the distribution to the north and the origin of its most prominent cultural characteristics, represented by circular cities and by the use of a special ceramic ware, North‑Mesopotamian Metallic Ware.
For this purpose, archaeological and archaeometrical means of research were combined to prove homogeneity and continuity of these features within the area of investigation between the Taurus and North‑East Syria.
In addition to surveys and both archaeological and chemical studies on the pottery, clay samples were also taken from places throughout the area in order to receive reference data for determining the location of the original clay source of North ‑ Mesopotamian Metallic Ware. The article presents the basic considerations which led to the project and some of the preliminary results.
Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Me... more Sr isotopic analysis was carried out on Early Bronze Age (c. 2800–2200 BCE) North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware and clay samples collected from southeastern Anatolia and northeastern Syria with a view to determining the provenance of this characteristic ceramic type, in particular of its non-calcareous variant. The non-calcareous and calcareous variants of North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, which have been defined in previous archaeo-metric studies, show a clear distinction in their Sr isotopic signatures. The non-calcareous group is characterised by high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios, whereas the calcareous variant has much lower values. The Sr isotopic signature of the non-calcareous group shows similarities with clay samples from the Pütürge Massif area in southeast Anatolia. Combining the results of the present study with previous investigations, it is thought that the raw material used for the production of non-calcareous North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware could have been originated from the southern part of the Pütürge Massif area. Furthermore, this study proves that Sr isotope analysis is a useful tool for the characterisation and identification of archaeological ceramic provenance.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/authorsrights This paper is a first report on the chemical analyses carried out on samples of North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware from Southeast Anatolia and on clay samples from the Pütürge Massif area, southeast of Malatya (Turkey), collected in the framework of the Southeast Anatolia Project (SOAP) of the Goethe University of Frankfurt/M. The chemical data obtained by applying wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectrometer were used to locate the provenance area of the raw clay source of non-calcareous North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware, which is a characteristic major feature of the population groups settling in Southeast Anatolia and Northeast Syria in the 3rd millennium B.C. The analytical results show that the raw clay source of the pottery derived from metamorphic rocks with felsic affinity (e.g., schist/slate or similar parent rocks). It is suggested that the similar metamorphic rocks exposed in the Pütürge Massif area may be the source for the non-calcareous clay of the North-Mesopotamian Metallic Ware.
Introduction Among the Early Bronze Age pottery of Upper Mesopotamia and adjacent areas we find s... more Introduction Among the Early Bronze Age pottery of Upper Mesopotamia and adjacent areas we find some special wares which due to their characteristic appearance have received considerable attention in the archaeological literature. The term " ware " is an ambiguous concept which is used in various ways by various authors and at various sites. 1 Every scholar who aims to study ancient Near Eastern pottery on a regional level has to deal with difficulties in correlating pottery from different archaeological sites. 2 For some decades scientific analysis providing reproducible data has been applied in pottery studies to overcome the problems of semantic and typological confusion. This chapter illustrates both the possibilities and the limitations of this archaeometric approach, since traditional typology and chemical or petrographic analysis produce different sets of data with sometimes very different typological borders. While some wares can be clearly defined by their chemical composition, other methods of archaeological typology are based on vessels of distinct decoration, surface treatment, geographic distribution, and chronology.
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Papers by Christian Falb
For this purpose, archaeological and archaeometrical means of research were combined to prove homogeneity and continuity of these features within the area of investigation between the Taurus and North‑East Syria.
In addition to surveys and both archaeological and chemical studies on the pottery, clay samples were also taken from places throughout the area in order to receive reference data for determining the location of the original clay source of North ‑ Mesopotamian Metallic Ware. The article presents the basic considerations which led to the project and some of the preliminary results.
Books by Christian Falb
For this purpose, archaeological and archaeometrical means of research were combined to prove homogeneity and continuity of these features within the area of investigation between the Taurus and North‑East Syria.
In addition to surveys and both archaeological and chemical studies on the pottery, clay samples were also taken from places throughout the area in order to receive reference data for determining the location of the original clay source of North ‑ Mesopotamian Metallic Ware. The article presents the basic considerations which led to the project and some of the preliminary results.