Season 2009

Mgr. Jaroslav Rídky, Ph.D.; Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, v.v.i. , Czech Centre for Mediterranean Archeology.

Investigated part of the ground stone industry, including several functional groups of the artifacts (except grinding slabs-querns analyzed by Doc. PhDr. Ivan Pavlu, DrCs. since 1996), has been processed since the year 2003. To date (2008) it consists of 378 artifacts in total.

The season 2009 was oriented to complete the database, which includes information about major 8 groups. There was also a good opportunity to discuss some most frequent raw materials used on the site during Chalcolithic period (see below).

1996 - 2008

Altogether 45,8 % of observed artifacts are tools used for processing of other artifacts. This group consists of different sizes of pebbles and cobbles (69,4 %) with wear traces after smoothing, pounding or chopping, then grinders or abraders (23,7 %), anvils (5,8 %) and woodwork tools – stone axes (1,2 %).

Small smoothers and pestles (14,1 %) represent, together with mill stones observed by I. Pavlu, a big group of tools used for food processing (see chart below).

There are also final products (16,3 %) such as perforated discs (26,2 %) and stone spheres (so called sling stones – 73,8 %). Percentage representation of the single groups is similar to the situation published before: Pavlu, I. – Rídky, J. – Wawruschka, C. – Gülçur, S. 2007: Grinding Stones and Hand Stones from the Chalkolithic site of Güvercinkayası (1996 – 2004). Anatolia Antiqua XV, 17-48.

Raw materials:
Preliminary analysis of raw material by:
Prof. Dr. Erdinç Yiğitbaş
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi (ÇOMÜ)
Jeoloji Mühendisliği Bölümü
Terzioğlu Kampüsü 17020 Çanakkale
Tel. (286) 218 00 18/2130
E-mail: eyigitbas@comu.edu.tr

Handstones, hammerstones, pounders:
1. Basalt, 2. Diabase, 3. Diorite, 4. Trachi/andesite, 5. Quartzite, 6. Tuff, 7. Felsic - magmatic rock.

Pestles:
1. Tuff, 2. Basalt.

Abraders:
1. Pumice stone (Pomza), 2. Tuff, 3. Diorite.

Perforated discs:
1. Basalt

Spheres:
1. Basalt, 2. Tuff, 3. Quartzite, 4. Diorite.



Bar chart illustrating the percentages of activities represented by ground stones in comparison to Tepecik-Çiftlik (Niğde).