Consuming symbols : a study into the appearance and early role of ceramics in south eastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq from a social perspective
This thesis presents a social perspective of the appearance and early role of ceramics during the Neolithic period in south eastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq. The need for an appreciation of the social context of this material is underpinned by the tendency in Near Eastern archaeology to use ceramics as tools to assist the formulation of chronologies, define supposed cultural boundaries and to reconstruct patterns of influence and interaction. Studies of the earliest ceramics have tended to adhere to these concerns and the social aspects of their appearance have been neglected. A number of different avenues are explored within this thesis, in order to approach the social context of early ceramics from differing perspectives. The material background and traditions of the Neolithic period are summarised, to place ceramic and other containers within a single framework for understanding. This contextual approach has been lacking from other studies of early ceramics. It is argued that ceramics did not present distinct functional advantages over existing container types and moves towards developing approaches that offer a social insight. This focuses on the increasingly complex role of consumption-related
Conroy, Rachel
Neolithic ceramics
Consuming symbols : a study into the appearance and early role of ceramics in south eastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq from a social perspective. This thesis presents a social perspective of the appearance and early role of ceramics during the Neolithic period in south eastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq. The need for an appreciation of the social context of this material is underpinned by the tendency in Near Eastern archaeology to use ceramics as tools to assist the formulation of chronologies, define supposed cultural boundaries and to reconstruct patterns of influence and interaction. Studies of the earliest ceramics have tended to adhere to these concerns and the social aspects of their appearance have been neglected. A number of different avenues are explored within this thesis, in order to approach the social context of early ceramics from differing perspectives. The material background and traditions of the Neolithic period are summarised, to place ceramic and other containers within a single framework for understanding. This contextual approach has been lacking from other studies of early ceramics. It is argued that ceramics did not present distinct functional advantages over existing container types and moves towards developing approaches that offer a social insight. This focuses on the increasingly complex role of consumption-related
consuming symbol study appearance early role ceramic south_eastern turkey northern_syria northern iraq social perspective present social perspective appearance early role ceramic neolithic_period south_eastern turkey northern_syria northern iraq need appreciation social_context material underpinned tendency near_eastern archaeology use ceramic tool assist formulation chronology define suppose cultural boundary reconstruct pattern influence interaction studies earliest ceramic tend adhere concern social_aspect appearance neglect number_different avenue explore within order social_context early ceramic differ perspective material background tradition neolithic_period summarise place ceramic container within_single framework understanding contextual lacking study early ceramic argue ceramic present distinct functional advantage exist container type move_towards develop approach offer social insight focus increasingly_complex role consumption related