Cultural interaction at Hassek Höyük, Turkey. New evidence from pottery analysis
Author
Helwing, B.
Date
1999Source Title
Paleorient
Print ISSN
0153-9345
Electronic ISSN
1957-701X
Publisher
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
91 - 99
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Pottery analysis at Hassek Höyük revealed inconsistencies in the material record, where it is possible
to identify a group of hybrid pottery combining stylistic and technological features of both the Uruk and
the Syro-Anatolian Late Chalcolithic cultures. This hybrid pottery at Hassek Höyük is interpreted as the
work of local craftsmen who, during a period of intensive contact with the Uruk culture, integrated some
features of the Uruk pottery into their own production mode. The continuous use of chaff tempered clay
shows a strong conservative tendency and argues for a local continuity of craftsmanship. Thus, the
pottery production at Hassek is deeply rooted within the local cultural tradition of the Syro-Anatolian
Late Chalcolithic. This is a strong argument against the interpretation of the site as being a wellplanned colony erected on virgin soil by a group of foreign Uruk traders.