THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF THE LEILATEPE CULTURE POTTERY

Abstract

Rich pottery of the late Chalcolithic period of the South Caucasus Leilatepe archaeological culture made with high-technology is the invaluable scientific information base for studying the history of the period. Studies show that pottery was a developed, independent area of handicraft in the Leilatepe culture society. The culture as a whole, as well as its pottery is of Eastern Anatolian and Northern Mesopotamian late Chalcolithic origin. On the other hand, the Maikop culture of the North Caucasus was of the same type and originated namely at the base of the Leilatepe culture. This phase covers first half of the 4th millennium BC in the Near East and the Caucasus. According to the composition of clay the pottery of the Leilatepe culture is divided into three groups: first group – pottery with the plant mixture. The second group – pure ceramics. The third group – ceramics containing the mixture of sand and small stones. The first two groups have been conditionally classified as “quality ceramics”, the third group, the “coarse ceramics”. Different types of pottery of the Leilatepe archaeological culture, on the one hand, is connected with the pottery of late Chalcolithic monuments of the Near East (Arslantepe VII, Amuk F, Tepe Gawra, Tell Hazna etc.), on the other hand with Maikop culture ceramics of the North Caucasus. This relationship is observed both in the typology and the production technology of the vessels, and on the specific signs marked on them. It should be noted in particular, that full analogues of a number of specific findings revealed from Leilatepe culture monuments, for example, two-necked containers, a group of jugs the inner edge of the mouth of which has undulated surface, jars with “S” profile and Coba bowls type and other pottery samples are known from Arslantepe VII, Amuk F, Oylum Hoyuk, Zeytinli Bahçe, Tell Hamoukar, Tepe Gawra and other synchronous monuments of Eastern Anatolia and Northern Mesopotamia. According to Q.N.Poplevko the roundbased pottery are hand-made, without potter's wheel or use of the rotation machine. Referring to ethnographic materials the author writes that round-based vessels were formed on the other such pottery or on their large parts. However, it is difficult to agree with Q.N.Poplevko’s opinions saying that the round-based pottery are hand-made, without potter's wheel. But, in the phases up to the emergence of a potter's wheel in the Near East - the end of 5th millenium BC – early IV millenium BC, for instance in the Halaf and Ubaid cultures round-based vessels had been produced on a mass scale. But none of them have had the traces of rotation remained on. Such traces are observed on the pottery only since the above-mentioned period - from the appearance of the potter's wheel, that proves the application of a new technology in the production of ceramics. Q.N.Poplevko’s opinions about the use of pestles and grinding-type tools in preparation of clay can be completely agreed with. Facts proving this mostly have been found in Galayeri settlement. It is not right to consider all of these instruments conventionally called grinding stones to be used in grain grinding. Most of them are small in size, and their large porous surface is completely flat, which excludes grinding of grains on them. The idea about the use of these stone tools in preparation, i.e. mixing and tempering of clay is more suitable. Remains of the hardened clay in the porous parts of some of them also the evidence to this. The pottery falling into the category of “Coarse ceramics” are hand-formed and poorly baked. There are traces of a very fine woven fabric on the inner surface of some pottery fragments found from Leilatepe that relate to this category, which in turn shows the use of woven fabrics in the preparation of such vessels. Similar pottery samples were found in Texut. All of these findings show that in the manufacture of Leilatepe culture ceramics the “bag” method had been used.