An archaeologist at the University of Sheffield has found evidence
that, contrary to a widely held theory, ancient Syrians made their stone
tools locally instead of importing finished tools from Turkey.
The discovery, newly published online in Journal of Archaeological Science,
has implications for our understanding of how early cities developed in
these regions and how the geographic origins of raw materials affect
developing states.
During the Early Bronze Age, around 5300 to 3100 years ago, blades
made of chert and obsidian remained important despite the advent of
metal tools. Much sharper than bronze tools, the stone blades were used
for various cutting and scraping purposes, including agricultural
activities, food processing, and crafts such as pottery and textile
production.
Dr Ellery Frahm from the University's Department of Archaeology
explained: "There is a prevalent idea that these blades were not made
locally in Northern Mesopotamia, what is now Syria. It has been widely
claimed that the blades were made in specialised workshops in southeast
Turkey and then exported to villages and early cities throughout what is
now Turkey, Syria, and Iraq."
However, Dr Frahm studied the origins of obsidian tools from various
archaeological sites, including Tell Mozan where he has excavated, and
showed that their raw materials originated from a variety of geological
sources across Turkey, not merely those nearest the proposed workshop
sites. [...] eurekalert.org
miércoles, 16 de octubre de 2013
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