عنوان

Early Bronze Age urbanisation in upper Mesopotamia :

Number

TLets641452

Title Proper

Early Bronze Age urbanisation in upper Mesopotamia :

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Mavros, Michael

Title Proper by Another Author

ceramic production and exchange in the middle Euphrates valley, northern Syria.

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of Manchester

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1999

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

University of Manchester

Text preceding or following the note

1999

Text of Note

Recent archaeological research has viewed movements towards urbanisation andsocio-political complexity in the periphery of Mesopotamia as a result of southerninfluence. While this study recognises the importance of interregional exchange inregional socio-political developments, and underlying world system theories, it holdsthat understanding of local urban growth can only be further advanced at theintraregional level. Archaeologists have also traditionally seen increasing sociopoliticalcomplexity in a direct linkage with ever increasing specialisation in craftproduction which presumably is controlled by emerging elites or centralisedinstitutions. To examine the organisation of ceramic production within one region ofUpper Mesopotamia and its relation to the mid-late third millennium Be urbanisation,a ceramic compositional analysis was undertaken. Representative pottery from theMiddle Euphrates valley in northern Syria was analysed by application of neutronactivation analysis and multivariate statistical analysis.The results of this investigation suggest that the majority of the Middle Euphratesceramics were not incorporated into the political economy and therefore theirproduction was not politically controlled. Site-specific production of ceramics wasthe dominant pattern. This is also supported by the written evidence, and is inaccordance with recent studies in Upper Mesopotamia which preclude a ceramic rolein a developing regional political economy. However, the patterns for some fine waresubsets suggest production in a more limited number of nucleated workshops possiblyassociated with major urban centres within the valley. These ceramic subsets due tostyle or function probably had a special role within the regional political economy, asuggestion which is also supported by the mortuary and glyptic evidence. Overall,ceramic production does not appear to have been incorporated into the regionalpolitical economy, but rather to intersect it. However, the Middle Euphrates valleyceramic production organisation seems to have been complex and regionallyintegrated, which is in line with the urban processes and intensification attested in themid-late third millennium. Finally, the analyses also provide additional insight intotypological problems connected with the ceramics that were examined.

Mavros, Michael

University of Manchester

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y