POSTER CONTRIBUTIONS

1. Networking in the Neolithic: Obsidian Sourcing at Abu Hureyra (N. Syria)

Tristan CARTER and Kelly BROWN
McMaster University. Ontario, Canada.

Abstract:

Situated on the Middle Euphrates (Syria), Abu Hureyra’s occupation sequence spans the transition from hunter-gatherer to early farming economies. Using EDXRF 166 obsidian artefacts were characterised as a means of clarifying the community’s external relations over 4000 years (Epi-Palaeolithic to Pottery Neolithic). At least three sources are represented, from central and eastern Anatolia. When temporally and techno-typologically contextualised, significant distinctions are viewed in these obsidians’ consumption, indicative not only of shifting socio-economic relations at the local and supra-regional level, but also potentially changes in the networks through which flowed the idea and knowledge of new practices, such as farming.


2. Obsidian Use Project


Laurence Astruc, H. Zahouani and Nur Balkan-Atlı and collaborators.
CNRS/IFEA, LTDS/Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Istanbul University and others institutional partners.

Abstract:

During the last three years, a group of researchers and students of different nationalities have been working on a program called ‘Obsidian Use Project’. Our aim is to use accurate methodologies to investigate every aspects of Anatolian obsidian diffusion and better understand the technical practices involved for the production of artifacts and the relation between the ancient communities. Organization of archives, experiments related to the manufacture of tools and prestige objects, establishment of new reference collections for use-wear analysis have been conducted during this time. ‘From the volcano to the tool’, three main aspects can be underlined at this stage: 1/ the development of a GIS for the Göllü Dağ region articulating both chemical and magnetism analyses of geological obsidians and archaeological data (collaboration CNRS/IFEA-ITÜ/EIES with the Istanbul University team of N.Balkan-Atlı, Arizona University, IRAMAT/Orléans, LSCE/Gif-sur-Yvette), 2/ the technological and use-wear analysis of archaeological assemblages in the Konya Plain and in Cappadocia (in collaboration with Istanbul and Liverpool Universities), 3/ the technological and tribological analysis of prestige objects found in Aşıklı höyük, Domuztepe and Arpachiyyah (collaboration CNRS/IFEA, LTDS of the Ecole Centrale de Lyon, and, Istanbul and Manchester Universities).