Thornton, CP;
Rehren, T;
(2009)
A truly refractory crucible from fourth millennium Tepe Hissar, Northeast Iran.
Journal of Archaeological Science
, 36
(12)
2700 - 2712.
10.1016/j.jas.2009.08.008.
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Abstract
From the Early Chalcolithic to the Late Iron Age, melting and smelting crucibles were usually made from non-refractory ceramic fabrics, which required heating of the charge from within the crucible to avoid collapsing the ceramic itself. In this paper, an unusual melting crucible from Northeast Iran, radiocarbon-dated to the Late Chalcolithic (ca. 3600 BCE), will be presented that significantly changes our understanding of the development of technical ceramics in Southwest Asia. This crucible, made of a highly refractory talc-based ceramic held together by an outer layer of traditional non-refractory ceramic, is to our knowledge unprecedented at such an early date. As will be argued, this ancient crucible was heated from the exterior or from below and not from the interior. This method of firing, combined with the highly-specialized construction technique, makes this crucible so far unique in prehistoric metallurgy, and forces us to re-examine traditional models for the development of technical ceramics and metallurgical practices in the Old World. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | A truly refractory crucible from fourth millennium Tepe Hissar, Northeast Iran |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jas.2009.08.008 |
| Publisher version: | http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2009.08.008 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Crucible, Steatite, Arsenical copper, Lead, Chalcolithic, Tepe Hissar, Iran |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology > Institute of Archaeology Gordon Square |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/93699 |
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