Durham E-Theses Lustred int blades in the epipalaeolithic and neolithic of the near east Healey, Elizabeth Anne How to cite: Healey, Elizabeth Anne (1988) Lustred int blades in the epipalaeolithic and neolithic of the near east, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6421/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk ABSTRACT LUSTRED FLIET BLADES III THE EPIPALAEOLITEIC AID 1TEOLITHIC OF THE HEAR EAST This thesis is primarily concerned with identifying the change in form and. methods of hafting and the evidence for the use of lustred flint blades (sickles) in the Epipalaeolithic and Heolithic of the Hear East (Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Anatolia, Iraq and W.Iran) between c 10,000 and 5000 be, though RubHequent developments are also summarized. Chapter I summarizes the history of research and outlines the issues involved. Chapter II is concerned with the environmental and cultural background against which lustred blades are evaluated. Evidence for function is dealt with in Chapter III. Various sources- provide information, including contemporary (though rather late) written and iconographic sources, ethnographic parallels, experimental replication and functional analysis of the blades. Chapter IV summarizes the quite considerable body of evidence for hafting and over 70 hafts are described in detail in Appendix II. Chapters V and VI concentrate on the change of form of lustred blades. The methodology of the analysis of the blades is outlined at the beginning of Chapter V and a sample of lustred blades from Jericho is used as a case study. In Chapter VI lustred blades from a number of sites in different environments are considered in detail and discussed against the cultural background outlined in Chapter II. together with contemporary evidence for hafting and function. Chapter VII is a summary of the results and concludes that lustred blades, when considered in a wider contejet, have a potential importance for the reconstruction of past economies. The Appendices contain a list of the relevant C14 dates, a catalogue of hafts, details of the attributes examined and the type list, as well as a description of lustred blades from selected sites. 1 LUSTRED FLIETT BLADES II THE EPI PALAEOLITHIC ASTD NEOLITHIC OF THE HEAR EAST Elizabeth Anne Healey Thesis submitted for the degree of Master of .Philosophy the University of Durham, Department of Archaeology 1988 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. MAY 5990 s TABLE OF COUTEITTS Page TABLE OF COITEITS 3 LIST OF TABLES 5 LIST OF FIOTJFFS , 6 DECLARATIOJJ 9 STATEIIEHT OF COPYRIGHT 9 ACKIIOWLEDGEHEIITS 10 CHAPTER I HISTORY OF RESEARCH AFD THE ISSUES IIVQLVED 1 Introduction 11 2 History of Research 11 3 The Issues Involved 16 CHAPTER II CHROBIOLOGY, CLIMATE AID CULTURAL CHAIIGE 1 Introduction 21 2 Chronology and Cultural Change 21 3 The Beginning of Agriculture 25 4 Enviromaent . 26 5 The Use and Availability of Cereals 32 6 Overview 39 7 The Late Epipalaeulithic 40 8 Period 1 41 9 The Healithic 51 10 Period 2 52 11 Periods 3 and 4 59 12 Periods 5 and 6 69 13 Later Developments 75 14 Summary 76 CHAPTER III FUMCTIOI 1 Introduction 79 2 Sources of Information 80 3 Harvesting Methods 83 4 Hethods of Cutting and Sickle Type 87 5 Efficiency 89 6 Plant Remains 92 7 Functional Analysis of Lustred Blades 93 8 Summary and Results 100 CHAPTER IV HAFTS 1 Introduction 105 2 Terminology 105 3 Parts of a Sickle 107 4 Dimensions 112 5 Haterials 113 6 Adhesives 116 7 Decoration 117 8 Classification of Hafted Sickles 119 9 Summary 130 3 CHAPTER ¥ THE ANALYSIS OF LUSTRED FLIITS WITH A CASE-STUDY OF THE LUSTRED FLIBT FROM JERICHO PART 1: THE AMLYSIS OF LUSTRED FLItTTS 1 Introduction 134 2 Methodology 134 3 Previous Classification 135 4 Selection of Variables 136 5 Raw Material 137 6 Technology . 137 7 Dimensions 133 8 Morphology 133 9 The Functional Edge 140 10 Other Variables 141 11 Overview 141 PART 2: A CASE-STUDY OF THE LUSTRED FLIITS FROM JERICHO 12 The Site 143 13 The Lust red Blades ,144 14 latufian 147 15 Sultanian: Proto-neolithic and Pre-pottery leolithic A ....148 16 Pre-pattery leolithic B 155 17 Pottery ITeolithic A 161 18 Pottery Neolithic B and Later Material 164 19 Summary and Conclusions 167 CHAPTER VI COMPARISONS 1 Introduction 174 2 Period 1 , ... 174 3 Period 2 186 4 Periods 3 and 4 195 5 Periods 5 and 6 206 6 Lustred blados post 5000 be 213 7 Overview 220 CHAPTER VII COTCLUSIOffS 1 Summary 224 2 Conclusions 229 APPENDICES Appendix I C14 Determinations 231 Appendix II Classification of Hafts 243 Appendix III Catalogue of Hafts 244 Appendix IV Classification Lustred Blades and Definitions of Their Attributes 273 Appendix V Attributes of a sample of the Lustred Blades from Jericho 285 Appendix VI Catalogue of Lustred Blades from Selected Sites 309 4 LIST OF TABLES Tables numbers are prefirced by the number of the Chapter to which they refer. 11:1 Main Cultural Periods 23 11:2 Chrnn.aloyi.Cr?.]. Chart 24 11:3 Plant Remains froa Epipalaeolithic and Ileolithic Sites in the Study Area 33 111:1 Identification of Hicropolishes on Lustred Blades 103 IV: 1 Classification of Hafting Methods 106 IV: 2 Occurrence of the Various Types of Haft 131 V:1 Frequencies of Retouched Pieces from Jericho 145 V:2 Occurrence of Lustred Blades at Jericho 14S V:3 Classes of Lustred Blades by Period 170 VI: 1 Classes of Lustred Blades by Site: Period 1 17S VI:2 Frequencies of Retouched Tools: Period 1 182 VI:3 Classes of Lustred Blades by Site: Period 2 189 VI:4 Frequencies of Retouched Tools: Period 2 194 VI:5 Classes of Lustred Blades by Site: Periods 3 Ss 4 198 VI:6 Frequencies of Retouched Tools: Periods 3 a 4 204 VI:7 Classes of Lustred Blades: Period 5 & 6 209 VI:8 Frequencies of Retouched Tools: Periods 5 & 6 212 VI: 9 Suroraary of Various Classes of Lustred blades by Period 221 APP.II:! Classification of Hafts 243a APP.IV:! Classification of Blades 275a 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure numbers are prefined by the Chapter numbers to which they are most relevant II. 1 Suwwary Chart of C14 dates 347 II: 2 Histogram Analysis of CI4 dates: Period 1 343 II: 3 Histogram Analysis of C14 dates: Period 2 349 II: 4a Histogram Analysis of CI4 dates: Period 3 350 II: 4b Histogram Analysis of C14 dates: Period 4 351 II: 5a Histogram Analysis of CI4 datus: Period 5 353 II: 5b Histogram Analysis of CI4 dates: Period 6 354 II: 6 Modern Political boundaries 355 II: 7 Topography 356 II: 3 Simplified Geology 357 II: 9 General Soil Hap 358 11:10 Rainfall Isohyets 359 11:11 Major Bioc1imatic Regions 360 11:12 Cereal Assemblages 361 II:13a Distribution of Wild Einkorn 362 II:13b Distribution of Wild Earner 363 II: 13c Distribution of Wild Barley 364 11:14 Diagram illustrating main components of Cereals 365 II: 15a Period 1: Early Ilatufian and other Sites 3G0 II:15b Period 1; Late latufian and other Sites 367 II:16a Period 2a: Proto-Ieollthic Sites 368 II:16b Period 2b: Iain Sites mentioned in Text 369 II: 17a Period 3 : Main Sites mentioned in Text 370 II: 17b Period 4 : Main Sites mentioned in Text 371 11:18 Cultural Fnti ties - : Periods 3 and 4 372 II:19a Period 5: Main Sites mentioned in Text 373 II:19b Period 6b; Main Sites mentioned in Text 374 11:20 Cultural Entities Periods 5 and 6 375 11:21 Location Hap of Later Sites mentioned in Text 376 11:22 Patterns of Sattlemsf.it Expansion 377 111:1 Ancient Depictions of Harvesting 373 111:2 Harvesting: Tomb of Henna, Thebes 379 111:3 Sickles as Symbols 380 IV;1 Classification of sickles after Childe 381 IV: 2 Parts of a Sickle 382 IV:3 Methods of Blade Insertion 383 IV:4 Hafts with Carved Heads 384 IV: 5 Hafts with Carved Heacte 385 IV;6 Other Straight Hafts 386 IV: 7a Hafts from ¥adi Hammeh 387 IV: 7b Hafts from Wadi Haameh 383 IV:8 Hafts with a Single Blade and a Double-sided Haft 389 IV:9 Straight Hafts with Coarsley Denticulated Blades 390 IV: 10 Hafts from Zawi Cheiai and Shimshara 391 IV: 11 Hafts from C,ay6nii and lahal Hemar 392 IV: 12 Hafts from Hacilar 393 IV: 13 Hafts from Hacilar 394 6 IV: 14 Jaw Bone Haft from Sha'ar Hagolau 395 IV: 15 Blades set in Bitumen from Hassuna and. Jarino 396 IV;16 Hafts with Obliquely Sot Blades 397 IV: 17 Blades set in Bitumen froa Gawra and Ur 393 IV: 18 Early Dynastic Blades set in Bltua-en 399 IV: 19 Blades set in Bitumen from Khafajah 400 IV; 20 Late Bronze Age Sickles 401 IV:21 Egyptian Hafts 402 IV:22 Comparsian of length of cutting edges 403 V: 1 Site Plan of Jericho 404 V: 2 Fatufian and Proto-fleolithic lustred blades 405 V: 3 PFM Lustred Blades: Classes I.B and I.C 405 V: 4 PPIA Lustred Blades: Classes I.B and I.