The Origins of the Halaf and the Rise of Styles. International workshop on the Late Neolithic in the Near East (ca. 6300-5700 BC) Wednesday, 5th April. 09:00h - 14:30h Coordinators: Olivier Nieuwenhuyse, Peter Akkermans, Walter Cruells and Miquel Molist Chair: Peter Akkermans 09:00 - 09:15 Presentation of the workshop Peter Akkermans (University of Leiden, Netherland) and Miquel Molist (UAB, Spain) 09:15 - 09:45 General introduction to the 'Proto-Halaf' issue. Chronological and regional framework, definition of terms, broad cultural change and continuity during the Proto-Halaf stage Walter Cruells (UAB) Abstract The Proto-Halaf period (also known as 'Transitional' period) has been recently defined as the link between the end of the late Pottery Neolithic stage (known as Pre-Halaf and/or Hassuna) and the Early Halaf. During this stage, currently dated about 6100-5900 cal. BC., the ceramics show a mixture of influences, combining elements from previous stages with those from the Samarra culture, previously thought to have been largely restricted to northern and central Iraq. Apart from the ceramics, however, there appears to have been considerable continuity in most other aspects of society. Although the Proto-Halaf stage was firstly defined at Tell Sabi Abyad, in the Balikh valley of northern Syria, other sites followed swiftly, such as in northern Iraq (Khirbet Garsour), the Euphrates valley (Tell Halula) and in the Khabur basin (Tell Boueid II and Chagar Bazar). In addition, projects in south-eastern Anatolia, a region with a strong recent history of archaeological research into the Late Neolithic, show that this region participated in the Proto-Halaf phenomenon as well. This paper presents the chronological and regional framework of the Proto-Halaf period. 09:45 - 10:15 Feasting in the steppe: Patterns of ceramic change and the transition to the Halaf Olivier Nieuwenhuyse (National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden) Abstract Traditional approaches to Late Neolithic cultures in the Near East tend to share the implicit assumption that material culture, in particular ceramic style, reflects existing social entities, be they forms of social organization ('chiefdom' versus ' tribal'), ethnic groups (Halafian tribal migration) or subsistence adaptations (rain-fed versus irrigation agriculture). Moreover, pottery styles are generally thought to be mutually discrete and internally homogeneous. Coupled with a lack of carefully excavated sequences this has contributed to a mosaic of cultures, mostly based on pottery style. Today, the investigation of 'Transitional' (or 'Proto-Halaf') sites between the Pre-Halaf and the Early Halaf (see the paper by Cruells), brings the inadequacies of our implicit assumptions to the foreground. In this paper I shall investigate patterns of gradual ceramic change at Tell Sabi Abyad from about 6300-5900 cal. BC, the period during which the transition from Pre-Halaf to Early Halaf occurred. After briefly discussing changes in ceramic technology and style, I shall concentrate on changes and continuities in pottery use. A more 'active' perspective is promoted, in which ceramic style is seen as actively engaged in the creation of social identities. Specifically, feasting may be a useful concept to explain much of the ceramic innovations observed. 10:15 - 10:40 May chemical analyses of pottery help finding the origins of the Halaf? Marie Le Mière (CNRS, Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, Lyon) and M. Picon (CNRS, Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée, Lyon) Abstract The “Transition” between the Pre-Halaf and the Early Halaf is mainly characterized by the appearance of new types of pottery. And these new wares do not seem to interact with the traditional pre-Halaf ones. Both groups develop along independent lines, as is shown by the sequence of Tell Sabi Abyad, currently the only available sequence that includes Pre-Halaf, “Transitional” and Early Halaf occupation levels. Since these new wares, and in particular the Samarra ware, might have played a role in the development of the Halaf, it is essential to determine if the various Pre-Halaf and Transitional wares are local or non-local productions, even if the precise determination of the provenance of the imported pottery remains rather unlikely. In our paper we will consider the results of the chemical analyses of pottery from Sabi Abyad as well as those from “Transitional” wares from some other sites. 10:40 - 11:05 New insights into the ceramic technology of the Proto-Halaf ('Transitional') period by using physico-chemical method Beatrice Robert (Maison de l’Orient Méditerranéen, France), A. Lassalle and R. Chapoulie (IRAMAT, CRPAA Université Michel de Montaigne, Bordeaux, France) Abstract Ceramic classification and pottery technology are crucial issues in the discussions concerning the transition from Pre-Halaf to Early Halaf ('Proto-Halaf'). Within the general framework of a multi-disciplinary research project concerning the origins of the Halafian culture, we have investigated the ceramic technology of sherds from Tell Shimshara (Iraq) and from Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria), in particular the paste. We investigated the clay fabric, the selection of plant or mineral temper, and the firing atmosphere and temperature. In this paper we focus on data brought forward by analytical methods used in physics and chemistry. We present the results obtained with cathodoluminescence on Hassunan-Samarran and pre-Halafian sherds from two different geographical and cultural regions. This method yielded two sets of information: 1) an alternative way for classifying these sherds; 2) a better understanding of firing circumstances. These insights complement the traditional, archaeological and typological, data, and they may explain certain technological properties of the material. 11:05 - 11:35 Coffee break 11:35 - 12:00 Neolithic ritual in transition Marc Verhoeven (The University of Tokyo) Abstract Discussing 'Proto-Halaf' ritual in a wider context, in this paper attention will be paid to continuities and changes of Pre-Pottery- and Pottery Neolithic ritual practices in Syria and surrounding areas. Following the Annales paradigm, the evidence for ritual at different sites is arranged according to three timescales: the short-term (the 'Proto-Halaf', or the transition from Pre-Halaf to Early Halaf), the medium-term (from Late PPNB to Halaf) and the long-term (from PPNA to Halaf). In particular, the meanings of figurines, animals and death -all playing a central role in Neolithic ritual- are addressed. On the basis of this overview, two different ritual ideologies, or mentalités, for respectively the early and late phases of the Neolithic are proposed. It shall be argued that the apparent distinctions can be understood as developments in the establishment of socio-cosmic relationships which were part and parcel of the Neolithic way of life. 12:00 - 12:30 The dialectical relations of period and cultural definitions such as “Halaf” or “Transitional Halaf” and research questions Reinhard Bernbeck (State University of New York at Binghamton) Abstract In this paper, I discuss the dialectical relations of period and cultural definitions such as “Halaf” or “Transitional Halaf” and research questions. Our categorizing terminologies imply a longue duree narrative, a spatio-temporal exclusivity that draws boundaries where there are none, and suggests commonalities which are just as spurious. I illustrate my abstract argumentation by referring to mobility patterns, ceramic production and architectural planning in the so-called Transitional and Early Halaf periods. 12:30 - 13:00 Late Neolithic Pottery Traditions in Southeastern Anatolia and Its Environments Halil Tekin (Hacettepe University, Ankara) Abstract Our limited knowledge of the Late Neolithic societies of Southeastern Anatolia and its environments has began to flourish over the last few decades. Recent excavations carried out on the Turkish Middle Euhrates and on the Upper Tigris are yielding exciting new data concerning the Late Neolithic cultures of the region. The most important results of this recent work show that the Hassuna/Samarra culture of Northern Mesopotamia existed in the region bordered by the Taurus Range since the end of the 7th millennium BC. Southeastern Anatolia seems to have been a major part of this culture since its beginnings. 13:00 - 13:30 Synthesis of lectures: Dominant research topics and approaches; central questions for future study. Peter Akkermans (University of Leiden, Netherland) and Miquel Molist (UAB, Spain) 13:30 - 14:30 General Discussion