Interregional Interaction and Dilmun Power in the Bronze Age

325 Pages·2015·6.22 MB·English

University of South Florida
Scholar Commons
Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School
May 2014
Interregional Interaction and Dilmun Power in the
Bronze Age: A Characterization Study of Ceramics
from Bronze Age Sites in Kuwait
Hasan Ashkanani
University of South Florida, [email protected]
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Scholar Commons Citation
Ashkanani, Hasan, "Interregional Interaction and Dilmun Power in the Bronze Age: A Characterization Study of Ceramics from
Bronze Age Sites in Kuwait" (2014).Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4980
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Interregional Interaction and Dilmun Power in the Bronze Age: A Characterization Study of

Ceramics from Bronze Age Sites in Kuwait

by

Hasan J. Ashkanani

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Anthropology
College of Arts and Sciences
University of South Florida

Major Professor: Robert H. Tykot, Ph.D.
Thomas J. Pluckhahn, Ph.D.
E. Christian Wells, Ph.D.
Jonathan M. Kenoyer, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Ryan, Ph.D.

Date of Approval
April 7, 2014

Keywords: Failaka Island, chemical analysis, pXRF, petrographic thin section, Arabian Gulf

Copyright © 2014, Hasan J. Ashkanani
DEDICATION

I dedicate my dissertation work to the awaited savior, Imam Mohammad Ibn Al-Hasan,
who appreciates knowledge and rejects all forms of ignorance. A special appreciation goes to my
parents and my beloved wife who supported me throughout this process. They have been my best
motivators to be a successful person. I also dedicate this dissertation to my siblings, Ashkanani
family, and friends who have never left my side and their words of encouragement were what
helped me persevere during the hard times of this journey. They have also supported me through
obtaining book sources from the Arabian Gulf countries and Europe. I will always appreciate all
my American friends for helping me develop my skills, especially Prof. Frank Poirier, Dr.
Allison Muhammad, Sean Norman and David Rafael, for their time and infinite support. Finally,
I dedicate this work to my elder brother, Mohammad, whose death led me to pursue an academic
career and have a significant position and footprint in developing Kuwait history and
archaeology.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The project was made possible through the assistance, guidance and support of numerous
individuals and groups. First, I would like to thank my committee chair Prof. Robert H. Tykot for
all his help, guidance and patience throughout the dissertation process. Your beneficial
discussion and substantial time were invaluable for initiating the research design and developing
the project through the analysis and editing. I would also like to thank my committee members
for their participation and guidance: Dr. Thomas J. Pluckhahn, Dr. E. Christian Wells, Prof.
Jeffrey Ryan, and Prof. Jonathan M. Kenoyer. Special thanks to Kuwait University for
sponsoring my scholarship and providing me with financial support for this research through
grants from the College of Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology and Social Works. I
am grateful to Prof. Yagoub Al-Kandari, the former dean of the College of Social Sciences,
Kuwait University, and the current dean, Prof. Abdulreda Aseeri for their efforts in supporting
my research. I am also grateful to Dr. Ali Alshamlan, former director of the Kuwait Foundation
for the Advancement of Sciences for the financial support to use pXRF and petrographic
analysis.
My deepest appreciation goes to Mr. Ali Alyoha, director of the National Council of
Culture, Art and Letters in Kuwait, Mr. Shehab A. Shebab, former director of the National
Museum of Kuwait and current director of the Department of Antiquities and Museums, and Dr.
Sultan Al-Duwaish, current director of the museum, for sharing pottery and interpretations. Mr.
Shehab’s support extended to involving me in archaeological excavations and studying Bronze
Age ceramic collections as well as visiting other archaeologists who have been working on
Kuwait archaeological projects. I am so grateful to Dr. Flemming Højlund, head of the Oriental
Department at the Moesgård Museum and head of the Danish team in the Kuwaiti-Danish
Archaeological Mission, for his permission to study the collections from Moesgård Museum and
providing me with accommodations and an office at the museum in Denmark. His valuable
academic discussion and assistance have helped frame my research. Special thanks to Moesgård
Museum staff for their assistance and hospitality. I also want to thank Dr. Lucia Benediková
(Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeology and field director of the Kuwaiti-Slovak
Archaeological Mission) for sharing pottery from Al-Khidr site on Failaka. Special thanks go to
the staff of the National Museum of Kuwait for their assistance at the museum in Kuwait City,
and the archaeological sites on Failaka Island, in particular Mrs. Nawal Al-Failakawi and Mr.
Talal Al-Saei.
I would like to express my heart-felt gratitude to Prof. Henry Wright (University of
Michigan) and Prof. Jonathan M. Kenoyer (University of Wisconsin- Madison) for sharing
pottery samples from Iran and Pakistan. They have generously showed their willingness to
support this research by providing me with an opportunity to examine their collections and
provided me with numerous resources and ideas that stemmed from their previous projects.
Many thanks to Dr. Ciprian Stremtan, Montana Puscas, Dr. Mary Ownby (Desert Archaeology,
Inc.) for their assistance in the application of ICP-MS, XRD and petrographic analysis. Also,
special thanks to Dr. David Hill (Metropolitan State University of Denver), Prof. Ali Al-Juboury
(Mosul University, Iraq), and Mr. Mohammad Alnaqi for their valuable time with discussions
and resources on the geological background of southwest Asia. I am grateful to Mr. Khaled Al-
Sindi (National Bahrain Museum), Dr Christopher P. Thornton (University of Pennsylvania), and
London-Bahrain Archaeological Expedition for providing important resources and permission to
use their photos.
Many people and friends have showed their love and support for this research. There are
numerous names to mention but I have to thank my wife, Anfal, who gave me the motivation to
work harder and achieve my goal.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv

List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................v

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................x

Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1
1.1 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................1
1.2 The Study of Ceramic Production..................................................................................5
1.3 Craft Specialization and Ceramic Production ................................................................6
1.3.1 Using Lines of Evidence ..............................................................................6
1.3.2 Characterization Studies of Ceramics ..........................................................8
1.4 Political Economy Theory and Craft Specialization ....................................................11
1.4.1 Toward Political Economy Theory for the Emergence of Dilmun ............17
1.5 Aims of this Study .......................................................................................................19
1.6 Significance of this Study ............................................................................................21

Chapter Two: The Dilmun Colony – Failaka Island Site ..............................................................23
2.1 Dilmun: The Sumerian Eden and Paradise ..................................................................23
2.2 Failaka Island, a Dilmun Colony .................................................................................24
2.2.1 Geographical Location and Land Use History ...........................................27
2.2.2 Archaeology of Failaka ..............................................................................30
2.3 Dilmun Political Economy in The Arabian Gulf .........................................................33
2.4 Dilmun Barbar Pottery and Craft Specialization .........................................................40

Chapter Three: Research Background ...........................................................................................47
3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................47
3.1.1 Key of Power and Social Complexity ........................................................47
3.1.2 Craft Specialization and Social Complexity ..............................................53
3.1.3 Trade, Exchange and Interaction ...............................................................57
3.1.4 Role of Ceramics with Other Materials .....................................................61
3.2 Socio-political Organization, Trade and Exchange in Kuwait and the Arabian
Gulf ..............................................................................................................................62

Chapter Four: Theoretical Background .........................................................................................67
4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................67
4.2 Socio-cultural Interactions that Undergird Trade and Exchange .................................68
4.3 Exchange and Interaction in the Near East and Adjacent Regions ..............................79
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4.4 Recent Models Applicable To the Future of the Arabian Gulf Research ....................90

Chapter Five: Methodological Background of Archaeometry in the Near East and the
Arabian Gulf ..................................................................................................................................93
5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................93
5.2 Destructive versus non-Destructive: Strengths and Limitations ..................................96
5.3 Archaeometry in the Near East and Adjacent Regions ..............................................107

Chapter Six: Methodology and Samples ......................................................................................111
6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................111
6.2 Sampling Strategy and Materials ...............................................................................113
6.3 Analytical Method: Portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) ........................................127
6.3.1 Sampling Exclusions and Limitations .....................................................127
6.3.2 Error Testing ............................................................................................132
6.3.3 Sample Preparation and Processing Data ................................................139
6.3.4 Statistical Analysis of Chemical Data......................................................141
6.4 Petrographic Thin Sectioning ....................................................................................142
6.4.1 Sample Preparation for Petrographic Thin Sectioning Analyses .............143
6.4.2 Processing Data for Petrographic Thin Sectioning Analyses ..................145

Chapter Seven: Results – Analytical and Statistical Results of Chemical Data ..........................146
7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................146
7.2 Statistical Analysis of Chemical Data........................................................................146
7.2.1 Principal Component Analysis for all Research Collections ...................147
7.2.2 Cluster Analysis of all Research Collection ............................................151
7.2.3 Discriminant Function Analysis ..............................................................151
7.2.4 Principal Component Analysis for all Failaka Island Ceramic
Sherds .............................................................................................................156
7.2.5 Cluster Analysis for all Failaka Island Ceramic Sherds ..........................157
7.2.6 Discriminant Function Analysis for all Failaka Island Ceramic
Sherds .............................................................................................................159
7.2.7 Principal Component Analysis for Ceramic Sherds of all Kuwait
and Bahrain Sites ...........................................................................................160
7.2.8 Cluster Analysis for Ceramic Sherds of all Kuwait and Bahrain
sites ................................................................................................................164
7.2.9 Discriminant Function Analysis for Ceramic Sherds of all Kuwait
and Bahrain sites ............................................................................................165
7.2.10 Principal Component Analysis for the Early Second Millennium
BC Sherds from Failaka Island ......................................................................167
7.2.11 Cluster Analysis of the Early Second Millennium BC Sherds from
Failaka Island .................................................................................................171
7.2.12 Discriminant Function Analysis of the Early Second Millennium
BC Sherds from Failaka Island ......................................................................172
7.3 Results from Preliminary Experiments ......................................................................174
7.3.1 Preliminary Test Results with pXRF .......................................................174
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7.3.2 Results from Preliminary Experiment with Petrographic Thin
Sectioning ......................................................................................................179

Chapter Eight: Discussion............................................................................................................180
8.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................180
8.2 Ceramic Grouping by pXRF ......................................................................................181
8.2.1 pXRF Group A .........................................................................................181
8.2.2 pXRF Group B .........................................................................................184
8.2.3 pXRF Group C .........................................................................................190
8.2.4 Outliers .....................................................................................................198
8.3 Petrographic thin section results ................................................................................208
8.3.1 Petrographic Analysis of Group A ...........................................................209
8.3.2 Petrographic Analysis of Group B ...........................................................217
8.3.3 Petrographic Thin Sectioning Outliers.....................................................219
8.4 The Potential Provenance of Bronze Age Pottery .....................................................222
8.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................231

Chapter Nine: Conclusion ............................................................................................................239
9.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................239
9.2 Discussion ..................................................................................................................241
9.3 The Future ..................................................................................................................245

References ....................................................................................................................................249

Appendix A: A List of Abbreviations Used in Dissertation ........................................................277

Appendix B: List of Elemental Compositions (As Determined by pXRF) of the Analyzed
304 Samples .................................................................................................................................278

Appendix C: A Basic Petrographic Analysis of Cermaics from Kuwait .....................................287

Appendix D: Permissions ............................................................................................................306

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 6.1 Summary of all sample materials from Kuwait, Bahrain, KSA, Iran and Pakistan .... 115
Table 6.2 Concentration of ICP-MS and pXRF for 13 selected ceramic samples ..................... 134
Table 6.3 Pearson correlation between ICP-MS and pXRF ....................................................... 136
Table 6.4 A Summary of Sample Materials of Petrographic Thin Section Analysis ................. 144
Table 7.1 Component matrix of each variable loading ............................................................... 150
Table 7.2 Loading of each variable into each discriminant function .......................................... 154
Table 7.3 Summary of sample materials of all Failaka Island sites ............................................ 157
Table 7.4 Component matrix of each variable loading ............................................................... 157
Table 7.5 Loading of each variable into each discriminant function .......................................... 161
Table 7.6 Summary of all materials from Kuwait and Bahrain .................................................. 163
Table 7.7 Component matrix of each variable loading ............................................................... 163
Table 7.8 Loading of each variable into each discriminant function .......................................... 167
Table 7.9 Summary of sample materials of early 2nd millennium Kuwait and Bahrain ............ 169
Table 7.10 Component matrix of each variable loading ............................................................. 170
Table 7.11 Loading of each variable into each discriminant function ........................................ 173
Table 7.12 pXRF data summary for three distinct Bronze Age ceramic groups (ppm) ............. 178
Table 8.1 Summary of pXRF groups in relation to petrographic groups ................................... 233

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