The Late Chalcolithic Pottery of the Malatya and Altınova Regions

Distinct but Overlapping Communities of Practice

Résumé

This paper focuses on the ceramic industries from the Malatya and Altınova Plains in the Upper Euphrates Region of Eastern Turkey at the end of the Late Chalcolithic Period (LC 5, ca. 3400–3200 BCE). We introduce the products of these industries in their historical contexts, by connecting them with regional trends from the end of the Early Chalcolithic Period, in their geographic contexts, by comparing them to ceramic assemblages from Upper Mesopotamia and Central Anatolia, and in their architectural and social contexts. The picture that emerges is one in which enduring local traditions of ceramic production continue alongside newly introduced traditions that preserve their distinctiveness in appearance, function, and production techniques, although they were mostly produced locally. The products of the various potter communities that were involved in these parallel industries were integrated on matters of food storage, preparation, and consumption that cross-cut these communities while also emphasizing their distinctiveness. However, despite these overall similarities, deep differences in paste recipes, production techniques, and inter-regional connections between the close-by Malatya and Altınova Plains persist during every period addressed in this paper.