Chronology, Periodisation, and the Problem of Transformations |
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Figure 5.8. Kura-Araxes human figurines: (1–2) Agarak (after and courtesy of Badalyan and Avetisyan 2007); (3–4) Shengavit (after Simonyan and Rothman 2015).
At the moment our evidence is circumstantial and not botanical or residual. We have some striking decorative patterns – morphing anthropomorphic figures that hint at the natural world and altered states, stylised animals and birds, and spiralling eyes, to mention a few – that are suggestive of a lively and vivid expression of trancelike states. Compared to the ubiquitous and standardised animal figurines, human figurines are rare and appear restricted to Armenia, where Agarak yielded quite a few (Figure 5.8).152
Early Ceramics
At present three types of pottery distinguish the early phase.
Monochrome Ware
One group has vessels that are thick-walled, gritty in paste, and generally fired at a moderate temperature to a mottled pink and brown surface, or grey brown colour – what Giulio Palumbi calls ‘monochrome’.153 Such containers
152Tumanian 2012: pls,VI, VIII.
153Palumbi 2008.
254 Encounters Beyond the Caucasus
have been found throughout much of the southern Caucasus, and belong to what Badalyan terms the ‘Elar-Aragats’ group in Armenia. None has the iconic burnished black and red colour scheme that typifies the later potting industry.
The Grmakhevistavi and Treli containers are bulbous jars with short everting necks (Figure 5.9(2)), and are quite different in shape from the Kura-Araxes containers represented by a series of single-handled cups, rounded bowls and wide-necked jars manufactured from a grit-tempered clay. The latter forms make an appearance, but are part of a mix (Figure 5.9(1, 3)). Small loop handles are common and are generally placed at the base of the neck on jars and attached to the rim on bowls (Figure 5.9(8)). Lids are a novel form, and are circular and fl at with a central small loop handle (Figure 5.9(6)). Decoration is rare in this early period and consists mostly of knobs acting as rudimentary ledge handles. Incised ornamentation is far more distinctive, especially as it is scratched on the surface after firing. Incised pendant triangles are found amongst the fine, well-made jugs from Khizanaant Gora E, in Shida Kartli, where we also find the three-handled water jars, discovered in large amounts at the later Duzdağı salt mine.154 A comparable assemblage of fine, pink-buff ware has been recovered from Samshvilde Level I, where a similar jug is also decorated along the neck.155
Elsewhere in the southern Caucasus, this monochrome pottery is found at a number of sites in Armenia, including at Talin (Tombs 7, 10–12), at early Gegharot, in the lowest levels at Horom, and at early Mentesh IV in Azerbaijan.156 In Armenia, a number of sites have been grouped into this formative phase, but without supporting chronometric dates, it is difficult to say on what side of 3300 BC they fall.157 Vessel shapes are on the whole similar to those in Georgia and decoration is likewise scarce, comprising dimples, embossed oblique lines, and single or paired knobs. Scratched patterns such as those at Aparan III also belong to this Armenian repertoire (Figure 5.9(4)).158
Enduring Chaff-Face Wares
Most significant is the small amount of chaff-tempered vessels recovered at Grmakhevistavi, Treli and Chobareti that are redolent of Late Chalcolithic practices. Let us recall that chaff-tempered pottery continues at Godedzor well into the second half of the fourth millennium, in a context that had no Kura-Araxes.
154I would like to thank Catherine Marro for this information and for showing me images of the Duzdağı examples.
155Mirtskhulava 1975.
156Badalyan et al. 1992;Avetisyan et al. 2010; Badalyan 2014; Lyonnet 2014.
157Badalyan et al. 2009: 42.
158Badalyan et al. 2009.
Figure 5.9. Kura-Araxes early ceramics: (1–2) Grmakhevistavi (after Abramishvili et al. 1980); (3, 6–8) Berikldeebi (after Palumbi 2008); (4) Aparan III (Badalyan and Avetisyan 2007); (5) Treli (after Abramishvili and Gotsiridze 1978).
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