Between Cilician Taurus and Tigris - Glazed Pottery of the 8th to the 15th Century as Indicator of Cultural Changes?
Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology
Final Report Abstract
The project had two main objectives. Firstly, it aimed to study early Islamic ceramics, particularly glazed products, in a geographical area that had previously been overlooked in research. Secondly, it sought to investigate the acculturation processes and bilateral influences on material culture in the border area between two spheres of power. Deviating from the project´s concept, the distribution of unglazed common wares was also examined in order to provide a comprehensive analysis. The processed pottery underwent further scientifical analyses. The detailed examination and distribution analysis of ceramic groups, glazing techniques and decoration schemes reveals that pottery must be regarded as an indicator of cultural changes. The pottery produced during the Abbasid period reflect the need for a clear distinction from the tolerant and (religiously) open policy of the Umayyads. New forms of pottery emerged during the early Abbasid period, with glazing techniques offering new possibilities for creating unique pieces. The production of ceramics was often influenced by the state, as seen in the widespread use of glazed ceramics from the 'Samarra horizon'. This coincided with the relocation of the caliph's residence to Samarra. Other production sites controlled by the state, such as those in Ar-Raqqa or Tarsus, existed. In the 11th and 12th centuries, external influences became again more apparent, particularly in motifs and decorative schemes. This change can be attributed to the decline of centralised Abbasid influence on domestic and foreign policy, which obviously impacted pottery production. This development is surely as well connected to the increased contact with the Byzantine Empire since the late 10th century. These contacts included obviously not only military conflicts but also bilateral cultural exchange. In summary, glazed ceramics from the Abbasid Caliphate period indicate political, historical, and cultural changes. In individual sites, the results depend heavily on the quality and quantity of the finds and their placement in chronologically and functionally determinable archaeological sequences. For the Abbasid Caliphate as macrocosms the pottery indicates changes that can be connected to historical developments.
Publications
-
Glazed Pottery in the Doliche Monastery: Preliminary Considerations on Trading Routes and Their Limits between the Cilician Taurus and the Tigris, in: N. D. Kontogiannis u.a. (eds.), Glazed Wares as Cultural Agents in the Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman Land (Istanbul 2021) 191–213 (ISBN: 978-605-7685-38-4)
E. Strothenke-Koch
-
Glazed Pottery of the Doliche Urban Survey, 2017–2019. Exploring urbanism in ancient North Syria, 373-398. De Gruyter.
Strothenke-Koch, Eva
