Geochemical and Petrographic Analysis of Late Bronze Age Cypriot Ceramics (White Slip I and II and Monochrome) from Tell Atchana/Alalakh (Hatay) in the Amuq Valley

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HACIOSMANOGLU S., KIBAROGLU M., Sunal G., KOZAL E., GUTSUZ P.

ARCHAEOMETRY, cilt.60, sa.3, ss.471-488, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 60 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2018
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/arcm.12328
  • Dergi Adı: ARCHAEOMETRY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.471-488
  • İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

White Slip ware, both White Slip I and II, and Monochrome ware are Middle to Late Bronze Age Cypriot pottery types found across a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean region. A vast quantity of these wares has also been uncovered in Tell Atchana/ancient Alalakh in Hatay in southern Anatolia. We analysed a total of 56 White Slip (n=36) and Monochrome potsherds (n=20) from Tell Atchana using XRF, ICP-MS and petrographic thin-section methods. The main aim of the study was to explore the compositional characteristics of the wares and to determine whether they are local imitations of the Cypriot White Slip and Monochrome wares or represent Cypriot exports to this region. The analytical results proved that White Slip I and II were produced from raw clay of mafic and ultramafic source rocks exposed in the Troodos Massif, available in the Limassol area of southern Cyprus and traded to Tell Atchana. Examples of Monochrome ware excavated in Tell Atchana were also imported to the region, most probably from east/north-east Cyprus. These results demonstrate a close trading connection between Tell Atchana/Alalakh and southern Cyprus during the Middle to Late Bronze Age.

White Slip ware, both White Slip I and II, and Monochrome ware are Middle to Late Bronze Age
Cypriot pottery types found across a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean region. A vast
quantity of these wares has also been uncovered in Tell Atchana/ancient Alalakh in Hatay in
southern Anatolia. We analysed a total of 56 White Slip (n =36) and Monochrome potsherds
(n =20) from Tell Atchana using XRF, ICP–MS and petrographic thin-section methods. The
main aim of the study was to explore the compositional characteristics of the wares and to
determine whether they are local imitations of the Cypriot White Slip and Monochrome wares
or represent Cypriot exports to this region. The analytical results proved that White Slip I and II
were produced from raw clay of mafic and ultramafic source rocks exposed in the Troodos
Massif, available in the Limassol area of southern Cyprus and traded to Tell Atchana. Examples
of Monochrome ware excavated in Tell Atchana were also imported to the region, most
probably from east/north-east Cyprus. These results demonstrate a close trading connection
between Tell Atchana/Alalakh and southern Cyprus during the Middle to Late Bronze Age.