Iron Age ceramics

Since the 14th century, then particularly from the early 19th century AD to the late 1970s, many travelers, archaeologists and epigraphers have visited the borderland area (of Bradost-Sidekan) which was called the land of Muṣaṣir during the Iron Age. After the 1970s, due to military unrest the area remained virtually closed to archaeological activities. Since 2005, as a local archaeologist I have started a fieldwork project in this area.2 The initial aim of this fieldwork was to survey and record the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age sites and artefacts which have been uncovered by chance in the area during the period of military unrest, and much new archaeological evidence has come to light.
Abstract
There is agreement among the scholars that the land of Ardini/Muṣaṣir located in the northeastern corner of Iraqi-Kurdistan, in the triangle bordering with Turkey and Iran. This remote area, after the late 1970s for decades due to the military unrests remained almost closed to archaeological activity.
This paper, deals with some new archaeological evidence which comes from a field work undertook by the author during 2005-2012, in addition of studying unpublished collection of archaeological evidence uncovered accidentally over the past few decades by the local people.
These evidence delivered to the local museums and private collections which have been studied by the author during this field work. These new evidence include 17 column bases, several human size funerary statues, a stamp seal impression, and several vessels. Some of the column bases are the Urartian column basis style, very probably of the long-lost temple of Haldi of Musasir, these column basis uncovered in the Mdjeser village in Sidekan-Bradost area. Also, some of the statues can consider surely as Scythian funeral statues. The ceramic shows influence from Hasanlu and the surrounding area or vice versa. On the base of this field work I add some notes on the probable location of Musasir and its architecture, also, the results of this field work
sheds light on the issue of cultural and ethnic interaction that took part in the land of Ardini/Muṣaṣir during the Iron Age. Since 2011, this field work has been conducted as part of a doctoral research project being carried out by the presenter at the department of Assyriology at Leiden University.

Abstract Rescue excavations undertaken by Sapienza University of Rome and the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Department of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (MOTA-DACH) revealed a huge necropolis in the site of Khalet al-Jam'a, south-east of Bethlehem. Tombs were used during the Early Bronze IV (2300–2000 BCE) to Middle Bronze I–III (2000–1500 BCE) periods, and up to the Iron Age IB–II (1050–700 BCE). This paper presents the results of the minero-petrographic and chemical characterization of ceramic material from this site, with the aim to reconstruct the technological level achieved by ancient populations living in Bethlehem from the Early Bronze IV to the Iron Age by means of optical microscopy, X-ray Powder Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Results show that two main supplies of raw materials can be recognized at Khalet al-Jam'a. The Early and Middle Bronze Age ceramic production is made with the so-called Moza-clay: a calcareous-rich clay with predominant limestone, diffuse grains of calcite, dolomite, and rare sedimentary siliceous rock fragments, quartz and microfossils. The latest production, namely that of the Iron Age, is more likely consistent with the calcareous-foraminiferous-Rendzina soil clay, with predominant silty quartz and few microfossils. The firing temperature was estimated from the mineralogical assemblage in each sample. Abundant calcite, clay minerals and the absence of neo-formed minerals suggest samples fired at temperatures lower than 800 °C. For those samples where calcite was found along with gehlenite and wollastonite, the temperature was indeed estimated to be in the range 850–950 °C. Finally, the firing atmosphere was uncontrolled, as testified by the extreme variability in colour of the matrix. The results of this study enable a preliminary characterization of pottery, whose production shows differences related to specific historical periods and contribute to improve the knowledge about specific ceramic production used in funerary contexts.

The Dyakovo culture (the early Iron Age) pottery with calcite temper is considered in the article. The pottery comes out from the Old Kashirskoye, Mutenkovskoye, Nastas’ino and Borovski Kurgan fortified settlements. The author has suggested that the calcite could be present in pottery paste not only as natural inclusions specific for the natural clay ledge but it was intentionally added as broken stone temper. Presence of calcite did not affect durability of vessels during their firing. Vessels with such temper have no signs of cracking. On the basis of experimental data and of observations of peculiarities of size and concentration of this temper the author found out specific features that allow distinguish the calcite temper from its natural inclusions in pottery paste.
Data of observations over samples of clay collected in vicinity of settlements showed that these samples contain natural grains of calcite. It is established that approximately 10% of all ceramics studied had calcite temper in pottery paste added intentionally in combination with other kinds of broken stones, most often, granite and gneiss that were ordinary for potters of Dyakovo culture. In this case there are grounds for considering the formula as a mixed one. Probably, tradition to use calcite temper have come from adjacent territories located southward from the latitudinal run of the Oka river where granite and gneiss are found extremely rare.

Key words: the Dyakovo culture. pottery technology, pottery paste, calcite, broken stone temper, pottery traditions.

Le site de Niord à Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse (Gironde) est un site de hauteur fortifié qui a déjà livré d'abondantes quantités de mobilier datées de l'âge du Fer depuis sa découverte. Dans ce travail, nous publions l'étude détaillée du mobilier provenant de la première opération de fouille, en 1987-1988. Un rappel de l'historique des recherches précède ladite étude, qui a permis d'affiner la datation de la fin du Premier âge du Fer dans le nord de l'Aquitaine. mots-clés site de hauteur fortifié, fin du Premier âge du Fer, céramique, typologie, chronologie
Abstract : The site of Niord in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse (Gironde, France) is a fortified settlement where large quantities of artefacts dating from iron age have been found since its discovery. In this work, we publish the detailed study of the results of the first digging operation, in 1987-1988. A recall of the search history precedes this study, which allowed to precise the chronology of the end of the first Iron Age in northern Aquitain.

In the Iron Age ceramics studies on the NW of Iberian Peninsula, had number of pieces that feature decoration with zoomorphic motifs stand out. Probably their relative rarity within the ceramics in this period, where geometric motifs dominate, become of special interest as a social and ideological instrument for the society. The aim of this study was to carry out the first inventory of this type of motifs associated with its geographical context and its chronology and the functionality, social and symbolic value of this representation in that society. After organizing the data obtained, these elements were compared with the decoration in metals and other fabrics