essay

Ceramic production and its implications for the sociopolitical organization of the Susiana Plain during the late 'Ubaid

upon this foundation : the 'ubaid reconsidered : proceedings from the 'ubaid symposium, elsinore, may 30th-june 1st 1988Copenhagen • Published In 1989 • Pages: 257-280

By: Berman, Judith C., Ubaid Symposium (1988 : Helsingør, Denmark).

Abstract
This paper discusses the results of a neutron activation analysis of some 500 ceramic objects from the 'Ubaid Period on the Susiana Plain in southwestern Iran. These ceramics were gathered by Berman from several field surveys including a few excavations in the area of study. Although petrographic, mineralogical, and/or physicochemical techniques have been used since the middle of the nineteenth century to examine the chemical composition of the raw material of artifacts, the neutron activation analysis (NAA), whch measures the gamma radiation from ceramic samples subjected to a neutron beam, is sensitive to elements to parts per million, and is far more accurate and effective in ceramic source characterization studies. The results of the NAA analysis of the samples submitted suggest that changes occurred in patterns of ceramic production throughout the Late 'Ubaid: specifically, in strategies of ceramic resource procurement (p. 269).
Subjects
Ceramic technology
Special deposits
Organization and analysis of results of research
Comparative evidence
Laboratory analysis of materials other than dating methods in archaeology
tradition
Ubaid
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Middle East
Sub Region
Middle East
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Archaeologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 2006
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
7000-6000 BP (5000-4000 BC)
Coverage Place
Susiana Plain, southwestern Iran
Notes
By Judith C. Berman
Discussion of Judith Berman's paper / Chairman M. Trolle Larsen
For bibliographical references see document 14: Henrickson and Thuesen
LCSH
Ubaid culture