Production technology of Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery from Tall al-'Umayri, Jordon

Bethany Rose Reiswig

Pottery is the most frequently encountered artifact in Near Eastern archaeological sites, making it an ideal tool for examining social, political, and economic changes. However, many differences in ceramics from neighboring sites may simply be caused by differential distribution of geological resources. As a result, care must be taken to determine the aspects of ceramic production that were the most stable geologically, but that were influenced by social change. This study examines pottery from the site of Tall al-'Umayri, Jordan to determine the amount of variability in ceramic remains from one site over time. Tall al-'Umayri is located just outside of Amman, Jordan in the Ammonite foothills. The occupation of Tall al-'Umayri began in the Bronze Age (3200-1200 B.C.E.) and continued through the Iron Age (1200-332 B.C.E.). This site has many unique features that indicate that the ancient city possibly had special administrative and religious functions. The pottery assemblage from this site is extensive and well-dated, making it ideal for examining the reflection of social change. Three different aspects of the pottery were measured on five different vessel forms. First, petrographic analysis of thin sections examined how the clay fabric changed over time and among forms. From these results, thirteen petrographic types were identified, all of which fit into one of two groups: a quartz-rich group, primarily containing Bronze Age samples, and a quartz-poor group, primarily containing Iron Age samples. Second, refiring analysis looked for changes in the original firing temperature and clay sources. Original firing temperature tests indicated a change in firing technology between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Based on the iron content of the clays, thirteen different clay sources were tentatively identified, five of which were likely non-local. Third, three different weights from each sample were used to calculate physical properties, such as apparent porosity. Vessels could not be separated based on these calculations, indicating that vessels fell in a set range for each parameter regardless of age or function. Petrographic analysis and refiring analysis are both useful tools for identifying changes in the ceramic technology and how that technology changed over time in connection with societal changes.

Production technology of Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery from Tall al-'Umayri, Jordon

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