Cultural Identity within Pottery: A Holistic Approach to Transitional Pottery from Border Zones
Date
2023-08-17
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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ORCID
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
This research studied the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age (1550-586 BCE) (LBA-IA) pottery at the site of Tel Burna, Israel. Tel Burna is a border site situated between the Israelites, Canaanites, and Philistines, which gives it a unique picture into cultural changes over time. The primary objective of this research was to make clear the markers of cultural identity present within the pottery of the Canaanites and Israelites, over a period of cultural change and ethnogenesis. Through the use of geochemical analyses, information about pottery manufacture can be gained (i.e. construction techniques, firing temperatures, and clay sources). Changes in pottery manufacture may reflect changes in cultural identity, which can be used to understand the transition between the Canaanite and Israelite cultures. The secondary objective of this research was to determine whether surface contamination is present on the pottery sherds studied by analyzing the exterior of the sherds and the interior separately. It has often been assumed that after deposition the exterior of ancient pottery becomes contaminated and thus is unusable for geochemical analyses. Preparing powdered ceramic samples is a labour-intensive process which involves removal and discard of the exterior surface of pottery sherds, followed by hand powdering using an agate mortar, and finally sieving the sample. This process could be streamlined, saving time and effort, if removal and discard of the exterior was not required.
This research used the geochemical techniques of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) as they are complimentary and allow for the collection of a wide array of data, including mineral and elemental composition. There were no trends identified in the XRD and XRF data. The consistency of the data indicates a lack of substantial change in manufacturing techniques from the LBA to the IA. This supports the theory that the development of Israelite culture in the Iron Age was a slow development from within the preceding indigenous Canaanite culture. Additionally, no consistent change was noted between the interior and exterior of each sherd, demonstrating minimal difference between the interior and exterior of the samples. A limited difference between the interior and exterior potentially indicates it is not necessary to remove and discard the exterior of a sample, which will allow for streamlining ceramic powdered sample preparation protocol. Both conclusions need to be confirmed with a larger sample set and the use of more techniques to analyze the samples, which will be explored in future work.
Description
Keywords
Pottery, Ancient Near East, Archaeometric, XRD, XRF
Citation
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Department
Archaeology and Anthropology
Program
Archeology