THE CERAMICS OF THE MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT DASHBULAG

Abstract

This article gives an account of the archaeological excavations carried out at the medieval settlement site at Dashbulag located at KP 322 of the SCPX pipeline ROW. The article depicts the course of excavations and provides descriptions of the cultural layers, features and artefacts discovered at the site. Based on the analysis of the available factual material this site was dated to the 9th-11th centuries, A.D. It is thought to be a rural type medieval settlement site. Considerable quantities of artefacts of domestic function were recovered in the course of excavations at the medieval Dashbulag settlement site. These include pottery ware, metal objects, stone tools and glass jewellery. The pottery ware that prevails among the finds is represented by jars, sarnijes, jugs, guvejes, dopus, bardags, lids, piyalas, bowls, dishes and salt-cellars. The artefacts provide evidence that the people living here were mainly engaged in farming and animal husbandry. In addition they were engaged in crafts which suggest they led a settled life. In the animal husbandry cattlebreading occupied a major place. The crafts were plain and of local importance intended to satisfy the needs of villagers in pottery and metalware. Wheel-turned unglazed pots of different functions were widely used in everyday life. At the same time glazed tableware was also produced and used.