Aslihan. The Domestication of Metals. The Rise of Complex Metal Industries in Anatolia

235 Pages·12.143 MB·English

by  Yener K.

CULTURE AND HISTORY OF
THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
EDITED BY
B. HALPERN, M.H.E. WEIPPERT
TH. PJ. VAN DEN HOUT, I. WINTER
VOLUME 4
THE DOMESTICATION
OF
METALS
The Rise of Complex Metal Industries in Anatolia
BY
K. ASLIHAN YENER
BRILL
LEIDEN • BOSTON • KÖLN
2000
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yener, K. Aslihan.
The domestication of metals : the rise of complex metal industries in Anatolia
/ by K. Aslihan Yener.
p. cm.—(Culture and history of the ancient Near East; ISSN 1566-2055 ;
V. 4)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 9004118640 (he : alk. paper)
1.Copper age—Turkey. 2. Bronze age—Turkey. 3. Metal-work, Prehistoric—
Turkey. 4. Turkey—Antiquities. I. Title. II. Culture and history of the ancient
Near East.
GN778.32.T9 Y45 2000
939’.2—dc21 00-026377
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Yener, K. Aslihan :
The domestication of metals : the rise of complex metal industries in
Anatolia / by K. Aslihan Yener. - Leiden ; Boston ; Köln : Brill, 2000
(Culture and history of the ancient Near East ; Vol. 4)
ISBN 90-04-11864-0
ISSN 1566-2055
ISBN 90 04 11864 0
© Copyright 2000 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced', translated, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
permission from the publisher.
Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted
by Koninklijke Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly
to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive,
Suite 910, Danvers MA 01923, USA.
Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables.........................................................................................................vii
List of Figures......................................................................................................viii
List of Plates.............................................................................................................X
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................xi
CHAPTER 1. THE RISE OF COMPLEX METAL INDUSTRIES IN
ANATOLIA, ANCIENT TURKEY
Introduction.....................................................................................................1
The Intellectual Framework...........................................................................4
Metal Production in Highland Anatolia: '
Innovation at the Frontier......................................................................10
Case Studies of Production Models..........................................................12
CHAPTER 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
Introduction....................................................... 17
The Technology of Prestige:
The Aceramic and Pottery Neolithic Beginnings.................................18
Transformations in Technology and Organization in the
Chalcolithic Period (c. 5500-3000 B.C.).............................................25
A. The Ubaid Period (late 5th and early 4th millennium B.C.).........30
Case Study 1 : Degirmentepe (Malatya)
B. The Technology of Prestige and Power: The Uruk Contact
(c. 3400-2900 B.C.).................................................................................44
Case Study 2: Arslantepe
The Altinova Valley Sites: Keban Dam Salvage
Projects
The Mediterranean Coast
C. The Early Bronze Age: Industrial Production..............................67
CHAPTER 3. KESTEL MINE AND GÖLTEPE
The Problem of Tin Sources 71
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS
Field Research in the Central Taurus Mountains:
The Physical Setting.....................................................................................76
The Bolkardag Area......................................................................................76
The Bokardag Area Site Survey
The Çamardi Area.....................................................................................80
The Çamardi Area Site Survey
The Kestel Intensive Surface Survey....................................................85
Sounding S.B.
Excavations at Kestel Tin Mine............................................................88
Kestel Mine Soundings S.1-S.4
Burial Chambers
Intensive Surface Survey at Göltepe..........................................................98
Göltepe, Tin Smelting Workshops, and Habitation..............................101
Area A and Area В Pithouse Structures
CHAPTER 4: THE PRODUCTION OF TIN
The Smelting Process.............................................................................Ill
Ore Materials from Göltepe.......................................................................112
Analysis of the Earthenware Crucible/Bowl Furnaces..........................115
Smelting Experiments.................................................................................121
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS.............................................................................125
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................129
INDEX.....................................................................................................................161
TABLES..................................................................................................................169
FIGURES.............................................................................................................183
PLATES 213
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Trace element analyses of Bolkardag ores and slag
samples.
Table 2: Çamardi sites,
Table 3: Kestel radiocarbon dates.
Table 4: Göltepe radiocarbon dates.
Table 5: Atomic absorption analysis of metal objects from
Göltepe.
Table 6: Comparison of the elemental analysis of hematite
samples.
Table 7: Atomic absorption analysis of Göltepe powdered
samples.
Table 8a: General sample information;
8b: Elemental concentrations measured by X-ray
fluorescence.
Table 9: Average composition of the tin-containing particle
types in the nine powder samples.
Table 10: XPS results.
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig. 1: Map of Turkey.
Fig. 2a: Histogram of arsenic content in Near-Eastern copper and
bronze objects;
2b: Histogram of arsenic content in tinless copper objects.
(Period 2, late 4th-early 3rd; Period 3, late 3rd; Period 4,
Middle Bronze Age; from Caneva, Frangipane and Palmieri
1985: 128, Fig. 6)
Fig. 3: Distribution of metallurgical debris from Degirmentepe (after
Esin 1989).
Fig. 4a: A bimodal distribution is indicated for the differences between
arsenic contents of swords versus spears (from Caneva,
Frangipane, and Palmieri 1985: 117);
4b: A ternary diagram of the trace elements in the artifacts
suggests that most were derived to a lesser extent from oxides
and sulfides (from Caneva and Palmieri 1983: 643).
Fig, 5: Metal content of ores found at Arslantepe (from Palmieri,
Hauptmann, Hess, and Sertok 1996: Fig. 1).
Fig. 6: Topographical map of the Bolkardag region.
Fig. 7: Topographical map of the Celaller-Kestel region.
Fig. 8: Distribution of sites in the Nigde Massif.
Fig. 9: Kestel Mine slope (Sarituzla) workshop and mine entrances
(1988 survey).
Fig. 10: Density map of ceramics from Kestel Mine slope survey.
Fig. 11 : Large ore-dressing installation at the entrance of Kestel Mine.
Fig. 12: Artifacts from Göltepe and Kestel Mine.
Fig. 13: Artifacts from Kestel Mine.
Fig. 14: Kestel Mine ceramic assemblage.
Fig. 15: Plan of Kestel Mine (Lynn Willies).
Fig. 16: Plan of mortuary chamber, Kestel Mine.
Fig. 17: Groundstone tool distribution map (Göltepe survey).
Fig. 18: Summit map of Göltepe.
Fig. 19: Excavation trench map, Göltepe.
Fig. 20: Ceramic molds for a flat ax and chisel (Göltepe, Early Bronze
Age).
Fig. 21 : Pithouse structures 6 and 15 (Göltepe, Early Bronze Age).
Fig. 22: Structures B05 and B06 in Area В (Göltepe, Early Bronze
Age).
Fig. 23: Silver necklace (Area В, Göltepe, Early Bronze Age).
LIST OF FIGURES IX
Fig. 24 : Crucibles (Göltepe, Early Bronze Age).
Fig. 25: Plan of Area E showing midden deposits.
Fig. 26: Chart of abundance of particle groups in nine powder samples.
Fig. 27: Chart of abundance of tin-containing particle groups in nine
powder samples.
LIST OF PLATES
Plate 1: Areal view of Cilicia, Bolkardag, and Çamardi (M.T.A.;
December 16, 1972).
Plate 2: Cassiterite grains panned out of the Kuruçay Stream (Necip
Pehlivan, M.T.A.; 1987).
Plate 3: Computer model of Çamardi, Celaller, Kestel Mine and
Göltepe region (John and Peggy Sanders, Oriental Institute).
Plate 4: Crucible fragments from Kestel slope area.
Plate 5a: Chamber VI Kestel Mine;
5b: Cassiterite grain from Sounding S2 (Chamber VI, Kestel
Mine).
Plate 6a: Dark-burnished ware (Chamber VI, Sounding 2);
6b: Straw-tempered ware (Chamber VI, Sounding 2).
Plate 7 : Antler tools from Kestel Mine.
Plate 8: Decorated ceramic panel (Pithouse 6, Göltepe, Early Bronze
Age).
Plate 9: Large storage vessel containing ground ore material (Pithouse
6 Göltepe, Early Bronze Age).
Plate 10: Large crucible with stone covers on floor of Pithouse 15
(Göltepe, Early Bronze Age).
Plate 11 : Geometrically decorated ceramic panel over hearth, Structure
B05 (Göltepe, Early Bronze Age).
Plate 12: Tin x-ray map of crucible, MRN 537, cross-section (SIMS;
Mieke Adriaens).
Plate 13: Microprobe image of glassy crucible accretion (Ian Steele,
University of Chicago).
Plate 14: Replication of crucibles with Celaller clay (Bryan Earl).
Plate 15: Ore beneficiation, vanning with a shovel (Oriental Institute
courtyard experimental smelt).
Plate 16a: Tin metal prill from experimental smelt, using Göltepe ore
materials;
16b: Glassy slag envelope from which the tin metal prill was
released upon grinding (experimental smelt).
Plate 17: Experimental smelt, Celaller Village using three blowpipes.
Plate 18: XPS metallic tin from powdery ore material (Göltepe, Early
Bronze Age).