The Neolithic witnessed the inception of dedicated trade networks which encompassed vast distances, over 3000 years prior to the invention of the wheel and before the domestication of traditional...Show moreThe Neolithic witnessed the inception of dedicated trade networks which encompassed vast distances, over 3000 years prior to the invention of the wheel and before the domestication of traditional beasts of burden such as horses, donkeys and camels. Communities were able to transport large quantities of material by land and water through use of a mixture of purposely created equipment and techniques. Strangely, few attempts have been made to retrace these networks of transport and attempt to postulate how material was moved from one place to another. Theoretical models of exchange are well attested, but this does not extend into practical application. This thesis will attempt to perform this application through the case study of Tell Sabi Abyad, a Late Neolithic settlement in northern Syria. The presence of bitumen and obsidian at the site have been determined to have arrived from over 300km in distance. As such, this body of research will attempt to break down such journeys and establish how they eventually arrived at a site, either by direct acquisition or otherwise. It will attempt to establish – assuming groups were indeed undertaking expeditions directly to the source – how long such a journey would have taken and by what means material was transported. The tracing of such networks of exchange provides an intriguing insight into the interconnectedness of Late Neolithic communities, and what levels of organisation existed in the facilitation of this activity.Show less
This thesis deals with basketry impressions on fragments of bitumen, gypsum and pottery found during excavations at the (Late) Neolithic (7000 - 5300 BC) site of Tell Sabi Abyad in Syria. It would...Show moreThis thesis deals with basketry impressions on fragments of bitumen, gypsum and pottery found during excavations at the (Late) Neolithic (7000 - 5300 BC) site of Tell Sabi Abyad in Syria. It would seem that basketry was produced on-site: botanical evidence shows that the required vegetable materials were readily available in the then fertile grounds surrounding the mounds, whereas hundreds of bone awls and needles suggest a range of on-site production activities concerning perishable artefacts, including textiles and basketry. After production, basketry artefacts were either used instantly as containers (and presumably as architectural elements, such as floor coverings and roof constructions) or used in the production sequence of other artefacts, such as bitumen-coated waterproof containers, White Ware and pottery. The untreated containers were used for communal storage facilities of dry goods, whilst the treated basketry was used to store liquids or to shape gypsum and clay into rigid vessels. Finally, diachronic analysis shows that different basketry techniques were introduced and used at different times at the site. The appearance of coiled basketry seems to have instigated a usage decline of bitumen-coated plaited baskets, as the former was used to shape larger waterproof vessels of gypsum and pottery.Show less
