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A discovery by archaeologists at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk in southeastern Turkey is extending the accepted timelines on the origins of ancient ceramic technology.
The discovery, detailed in a new study that appeared in the journal Antiquity, provides some of the earliest evidence yet uncovered for intentionally fired pottery in Southwest Asia. The findings appear to show that the first experimentation with ceramic technology began thousands of years earlier than once believed.
At the heart of the findings are a collection of more than 45 low-fired clay fragments, representing at least nine separate vessels, which researchers unearthed at the site of Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk in Mardin Province. The fragments date to approximately 9,350 BC, placing them in a period that predates the widespread adoption of pottery during the seventh millennium BC by nearly two millennia.
The discovery offers an unprecedented glimpse into the earliest stages of ceramic innovation, adding to past discoveries that include early agricultural innovations and remarkably sophisticated monumental architecture associated with famous sites in the region like GΓΆbekli Tepe.
An Ancient Experiment in Ceramics
Rather than evidence of full-scale pottery production, the new study by researchers ErgΓΌl KodaΕ, Natalia Petrova, Maria Daghmehchi, and Rana Γzbal argues that a period of experimentation seems to have begun around 11,500 years ago.
The nine vessels represented by the fragments uncovered at Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk showcase simple slab-building techniques, where plant material, and even animal dung was sometimes mixed into the source clay to help improve its performance during the firing process. Further analysis of the samples indicated that they were intentionally heated in controlled, low-heat fires that reached temperatures of roughly 600 to 700 degrees Celsius, which produced permanent ceramic transformation, rather than mere accidental burning.
A Surprise Discovery
Along with the pottery fragments, archaeologists also discovered an unusual variety of clay objects at Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk: a type of clay coating that may have once covered organic objects, along with an attachment formed from the same material that seems to have been used for enlarging the capacity of a vessel made from another material, such as stone or wood.
Altogether, the diversity of the artifacts the team uncovered points to strong evidence that early Neolithic communities in the region were already experimenting with clay in a range of different ways, before the widespread adoption of ceramic technologies for pottery production.
This is significant, since the discoveries challenge existing ideas about the emergence of pottery, which suggested that it was quickly adopted as a fully developed technology.
βThis new evidence points to an early implementation and demonstrates that ceramic innovation emerged before widespread production and adoption,β the team writes, βdeveloping regionally and progressively rather than through a single invention event.β
βOur analysis of the fired clay items from Γemka shows that the inhabitants of the site experimented with pottery production by selectively using organic temper, low-temperature firing technologies, and slab-construction techniques,β they add.
Ceramic Technology in the Ancient World
The study also places Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk within a broader network of early clay experimentation across Southwest Asia. While similar finds have been reported from sites in TΓΌrkiye, Syria, Jordan, Iran, and Israel, the Γemka discoveries are now recognized as being among some of the oldest known examples of intentionally fired ceramic technology ever identified in the region.
Even beyond the technical implications of what the team outlines, the new study offers deeper perspectives on the social aspects of such innovations in the ancient world. For instance, to become successful, technologies must offer more than just functionality by becoming ingrained in the everyday lives of a culture.
The evidence suggests that at Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk, use of clay underwent gradual transitions from use as a construction material to a medium used for storage and food preparation. This reflects changes in the culinary practices of the era, as well as certain community activities right down to the daily routines of Γemka HΓΆyΓΌkβs ancient residents.
Thus, the early experiments outlined in the new study helped to lay the foundation for the sophisticated pottery use and other traditions that would ultimately make their way throughout the region, revolutionizing the ancient Near East with the arrival of one of its earliest technological revolutions.
The teamβs new study, βUnderstanding a first attempt at pottery: early fired containers at Γemka HΓΆyΓΌk,β appeared in the journal Antiquity.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached atΒ micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on XΒ @MicahHanks, and atΒ micahhanks.com.
