Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The research presented in this thesis investigated the pottery assemblage of the Jebel Qurma region in the Black Desert (harra), north-eastern Jordan. The main reason for studying the pottery of...Show moreThe research presented in this thesis investigated the pottery assemblage of the Jebel Qurma region in the Black Desert (harra), north-eastern Jordan. The main reason for studying the pottery of this region was that no pottery studies of this region and the harra as a whole existed. Therefore, there existed a significant gap in the knowledge of this region. This was problematic for several reasons. First of all, pottery was one of the best ways of dating occupation in this area, since stratigraphic sequences are nearly absent. Additionally, pottery research in this region had the potential of illuminating the ties of this region, and the harra as a whole, to developments on its fringes and beyond. Four main aspects of the pottery were researched: technology, morphology, date and distribution. The technology and morphology were analysed following fabrics groups in which further variation was investigated. The dates of the pottery was researched using published literature on the dated pottery of other sites, in order to find parallels. The distribution was analysed according to numerous variables, including amounts (and weight), fabric, distance to water, visual prominence, Hillslope Point Classification, accessibility and chronology. The analyses of these aspects have led to the following conclusions: (1) The Jebel Qurma pottery assemblage is characterized by a large variety in both technological and morphological aspects, but mainly features rather coarse and simply-shaped vessels; (2) pottery was introduced in the region during the Early to Middle Bronze Age, disappears after this period and reappears in the Roman period, after which it continues to be in use up until the present; (3) the majority of the pottery was most likely used for domestic purposes, i.e. cooking, serving and short-term storage and (4) the pottery was used throughout the entire research area, but was concentrated on a few sites with favourable locations for settling that saw a lot of reuse through time. Furthermore, the research has shown that long-distance (trade) networks must have existed for pottery to appear in the harra, since most pottery came from sites located far away from the Jebel Qurma region. All in all, the research presented in this paper has increased our understanding of the pottery of the harra, as well as shown that the harra was not an isolated region, but incorporated into networks of exchange which lead to the spread of pottery to and throughout this region.Show less
