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The Halaf tradition in Upper Mesopotamia: some questions about socio-economic background and identity
Benitti, Carlo
2020
Abstract
The paper focuses on the analysis of the so-called tholos, a circular building widespread – but not exclusively – during the Halaf period. Taking into account most of the remains of tholoi present at many Halaf sites (31 in all), including data relating to the transitional periods (Proto-Halaf and Post-Halaf/HUT), in the first section a classification of types of tholos is proposed and their possible functions are discussed, with reference to previous work. The second section deals with some related socio-economic issues, considering settlement layout and the distinction between sites with long and short occupation, and small and larger villages. Particular attention is given to: family structure or pattern, that is the arrangement in extended or nuclear households; storage facilities, i.e. the adoption of communal or domestic storage practices; the type of mobility, namely the compatibility of the current interpretations with models of long-term and short-term mobility on one hand, or with certain models of ‘nomadism’ and pastoralism on the other. A final question concerns to what extent these aspects are related to differences in pottery production recognizable, in part, at local and regional scales – and therefore to the issue of ‘socio-cultural identity’.
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Carlo Benitti, "The Halaf tradition in Upper Mesopotamia: some questions about socio-economic background and identity", in: Marco Iamoni (Edited by), "From the Prehistory of Upper Mesopotamia to the Bronze and Iron Age Societies of the Levant. Volume 1. Proceedings of the 5th “Broadening Horizons” Conference (Udine 5-8 June 2017)", Trieste, EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste, 2020, pp. 39-57
Languages
en
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