Gerwulf Schneider Kim Duistermaat

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria)
In: Palorient. 1998, Vol. 24 N1. pp. 89-106.

Abstract At the site of Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria), hundreds of day sealings dating to the Late Neolithic period have been found. Crucial to their interpretation is the question whether they are of local or non-local origin, thus indicating use in storage or exchange practices respectively. Analysis of the chemical composition of the sealing clays with X-ray fluorescence analysis indicates that all sealings came from Sabi Abyad itself. Rsum Des scellements en argile datant du Nolithique Rcent ont t trouvs par centaines Tell Sabi Abyad (Syrie). Il importe de savoir si leur origine est locale ou non pour comprendre leur fonction : utilisation pour l ' emmagasinement ou fin d'changes. Les rsultats des analyses par fluorescence X de la composition chimique de ces scellements ont montr qu'ils provenaient tous de Sabi Abyad.

Citer ce document / Cite this document : Schneider Gerwulf, Duistermaat Kim. Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria). In: Palorient. 1998, Vol. 24 N1. pp. 89-106. doi : 10.3406/paleo.1998.4672 http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/paleo_0153-9345_1998_num_24_1_4672

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at late neolithic tell sab! Abyad (Syria)

K. DUISTERMAAT and G. SCHNEIDER

Abstract : At the site of Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria), hundreds of day sealings dating to the Late Neolithic period have been found. Crucial to their interpretation is the question whether they are of local or non-local origin, thus indicating use in storage or exchange practices respectively. Analysis of the chemical composition of the sealing clays with X-ray fluorescence analysis indicates that probably all sealings came from Sabi Abyad itself. Resume : Des scellements en argile datant du Nolithique Rcent ont t trouvs par centaines Tell Sabi Abyad (Syrie). Il importe de savoir si leur origine est locale ou non pour comprendre leur fonction : utilisation pour l ' emmagasinement ou fin d'changes. Les rsultats des analyses par fluorescence X de la composition chimique de ces scellements ont montr qu'ils provenaient tous de Sabi Abyad. Key-words : Syria, Sabi Abyad, Sealings, X-ray fluorescence analysis. Mots clefs : Syrie, Sabi Abyad, scellements, analyses par fluorescence X.

INTRODUCTION This paper will discuss the chemical analyses of sealing clays from Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria). Earlier, an extensive discussion of the interpretation of the sealings themselves was published in this journal1. A major part of the argument there was sustained by the results of the chemical analyses of the sealing clay, which proved that all sealings are of local provenance. This leads to the idea that the sealings were applied at the site to the containers to protect their contents during storage. The present paper will contain a discussion of the research questions, methods, and results of these chemical analyses. 1. Akkermans and Duistermaat, 1997. Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998

In sealing studies several thoughts on the use of seals and sealings have been offered. These generally are varieties of two approaches that view sealings as originating from other sites or from the site itself, thus functioning in spheres of exchange and storage respectively (see below). To be able to separate these two options for interpretation, X-Ray Fluo rescence (XRF) analyses of the sealing clays was performed. These analyses are among the few similar research projects ever done for Near Eastern sealings2. The present note will discuss the analyses only. For a more extensive discussion of the site of Sabi Abyad, the sealings and their interpretation, the reader is referred to earlier publi cations3. 2. Rothman and Blackman, 1990. 3. Akkermans, 1996; Duistermaat, 1996; Akkermans and Duister maat,1997. Manuscrit reu le 20 juillet 1997 et accept le 20 novembre 1997.

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. Duistermaat and G. Schneider The properties of the sealed containers suggest that they served for the storage or transportation of small amounts of goods. Exotic or valuable objects may have formed the contents of these containers. In addition, it is possible that tokens were kept under seal in these small containers, signifying amounts and qualities of products difficult to seal otherwise. When used in this manner, the sealed containers and tokens can be used to account for bulk goods like cereals or for animals5.

THE SITE OF TELL SABI ABYAD AND THE SEALINGS Tell Sabi Abyad is a 5 ha. site in northern Syria, occupied in the Late Neolithic period (between about 6,500 and 5,800 cal. )4. The occupation level with which we are concerned in this paper is called level 6, dated around 6,000 cal. . The architecture in level 6 consists of both rectangular and circular structures. The rectangular buildings are characterised by a very regular layout and an enormous number of small rectangular rooms. They seem to have been used for a variety of purposes. Some rooms give indications of food processing or craft production, while others seem to have functioned mainly as storage spaces for a variety of products stored in bulk or in containers. In total 300 sealings have been found in level 6. About 63 % of them carry stamp seal impressions. There are 27 dif ferent seal images discernible on the sealings (cf. table 4 : capitals in the column 'seal no.'). Most are geometrical designs, but naturalistic designs appear too. Within this group of 27 different seal designs it was possible to establish that at least 67 different actual stamp seals must have been in use. Many impressions differ from each other in shape, size, and design details, while the overall image is the same (cf. table 4 numerals in the columns 'seal no.' and 'variety'). This creation of "lookalike" seals must have been intentional : one obviously wanted to use more seals with the same design instead of shaping every single seal as a unique piece. If we accept that one seal was used by only one person, at least 67 persons were involved in the sealing of goods at Sabi Abyad. The reverse sides of the sealings showed that only small transportable containers were sealed. No doorsealings have been found. Most of these containers were baskets. Many sea lings were used to close and seal pottery containers, and a few were used on mats, a stone bowl and a leather bag. When it was possible to measure the original dimensions of the sealed objects, it appeared that the opening of most containers did not exceed about 20 cm in diameter. This indicates that the containers could not themselves have held a large amount of goods. The storage of bulk foodstuffs in such containers would have been very impractical. Moreover, there is clear evidence that the storage of bulk amounts of grain took place in other ways. Large amounts of burnt grain have been found on the floors of some of the small rectangular rooms in the buildings. : 4. Akkermans, 1993; Akkermans and Verhoeven, 1995; Akkermans, 1996.

INTERPRETING SEALING EVIDENCE : EXCHANGE OR STORAGE? Pieces of clay placed on the closure of a container and impressed with a seal protect the container from unauthorised opening. Therefore, seals and sealings are associated with the definition of the property of a person, or group of persons, and the administration of this property. Sealings are indicative of the control over the access to goods. For sealings to be meaningful this control must extend beyond the private or domestic sphere. For when the owner himself is guarding the stored goods, or when he hands them over to his exchange partner himself, control on the transaction is possible in other more direct ways than sealing. In public spheres, however, there is a need of a simple, flexible, and obvious means of controlling access to goods that is recognisable to a wide au dience. Sealings are able to fulfil this role. Most interpretations of sealings vary on two general themes : sealings functioning in the control over either exchange networks or storage pract ices. Below, these two views will be shortly summarised to clarify what problems were encountered when interpreting the Sabi Abyad finds. Several studies6, including some earlier publications on the Sabi Abyad sealings7, connect sealings with the control over the exchange of products. Especially when many different seal designs are attested on container sealings, it is easily suggested that they have come from a variety of sources outside the site itself. In this way the seal impression acts as an indication of the number and identity of the dispatching parties in an exchange transaction. None of the above-mentioned publications do, however, describe in any detail how such a transaction would have taken place and how it can be controlled by the use of sealings. 5. Akkermans and Duistermaat, 1997. 6. Alizadeh, 1988: 25; Charvt, 1994; Caldwell, 1976; Le Brun and Vallat, 1978 37-39. 7. Duistermaat, 1 996 Akkermans and Verhoeven, 1 995. : ; Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) Let us attempt to follow the proceedings of a sealing-controlled exchange transaction. First, the sender packs the goods and seals them by impressing his own seal onto the sealing. This sealing would be unnecessary if he would bring the goods himself to the receiver or if the receiver would come to take them. When this suggestion is accepted, it means that the sealing of exchange goods is only meaningful when the distance covered exceeds the distance a sender would easily cover to exchange his goods face-to-face. The sealing of goods that are exchanged in the immediate surroundings of the site or at the site itself is therefore unnecessary. Moreover, we must infer the existence of a transporting "intermediary" who takes the sealed goods into his custody and brings them to the receiver. The sealing thus mainly serves to control the well-being of the package during transport. Secondly, at receiving the goods, the receiver checks the sealing. When the sealing is intact he knows nothing has happened to the goods during transport. However, to be sure of this, he has to know whether the seal impression is really that of the sender, or possibly that of a counterfeiting transporter. So, the receiver must memorise the seal image and design details of every exchange partner. This can be very difficult, as impressions are often deformed and differences between actual seals might be visible only in minor details. At breaking the sealing and opening the container, the receiver checks whether the dispatched goods are in untampered state. However, to be able to check this he has to know in detail what the sender intended to pack and dispatch. Therefore, a sealed shipment is only meaningful when both parties have decided beforehand what is to be sent in what quality and quantity, this in the absence of any textual info rmation accompanying the goods. It will be clear that this is a rather rigid system of control, largely depending on set a r angements and fixed rules. It would surely be much easier to obtain the goods directly, and unsealed, from the transporter, who then acts as an itinerant peddler. For the site of Sabi Abyad the exchange of a wide range of products is firmly attested for the level 6 occupation. Pottery, wood, stones, copper ore, obsidian, etc. were obtained from regions in the surroundings of the site or from regions further away8. The find of sealings at first sight seemed to offer a unique insight into the organisation of these contacts. The small size of the sealed containers seemed to be in accordance with the suggestion that mainly luxury or exotic goods were subject to a sealed exchange contact. A problem remained, however, in establishing what Sabi Abyad inhabitants could exchange in return for all these exotics. The region itself does 8. Akkermans and Verhoeven, 1995 24. Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998 :

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not seem to offer more than the normal subsistence goods like grain and animals9. Moreover, Sabi Abyad does not seem to have been a specialised production site that could exchange its products with other sites, as it was suggested for the site of Umm Dabaghiyah l0. However, the number of different seal designs suggested that the goods came from a large number of different people. Next to seal design, impression of the sealed containers on the reverse and actual findspot and context of the seal, sealings offer a fourth source of information, which is the sealing clay itself11. Only a clear indication that a large part of the sealings actually originated from outside the im mediate surroundings of the site could yield a solution to the question whether sealings had functioned in exchange contacts or not. For this reason it was decided to test this assumption by means of chemical analyses of the sealing clays. Many scholars, on the contrary, maintain that it is very improbable that sealings have functioned on any large scale in exchange situations. Although this practice is described in cuneiform texts l2, they hold that most of the sealings excavated until now served in a context of control over stored products 13. In the case of controlled storage practices, the owners of goods, or, in more hierarchical organisations, the responsible officials, placed the goods in containers and storerooms. A clay sealing was then applied to the door of the storeroom or the opening of the container. Control of the goods is much simpler in this case, as opposed to the exchange situation described above. A broken sealing or one with an unfamiliar seal impression indicates that the storeroom or storage container was opened by an unauthorised person. Sanctions on tampering with the goods are only possible when this person is known to the owner : sealings do not prevent ordinary theft. But when goods are given into custody with a person responsible for their well-being during storage, this person can also be ad dres ed when anything is wrong with the sealing. Private owners can in this way control their own goods by means of sealings when they are stored in public surroundings outside of their control. When the goods are needed, the owner or responsible official breaks the sealing. At that occasion he is able to check whether anything has happened to the goods while in storage. In this case the recognition of the seal impression does not form any problem for the functioning of the system : one only has to recognise ones own seal impression, which can be com9. Ibid.: 30-31. 10. Kirkbride, 1974. 11. Rothman and Blackman, 1990. 12. Ferioli and Fiandra, 1990: 222. 13. Matthews, 1991 ; Zettler, 1987; all publications by P. Ferioli and E. Fiandra, e.g. 1990 and 1994; Rothman and Blackman, 1990; Breniquet, 1996: 112-113.

92 pared on the spot with the original seal. Moreover, there is no need for rigid appointments on the amount and quality of goods, as only the owner himself and the caretaker of the storage rooms are involved. Interestingly, such a system is described for an ethnographical context in Libya, where bee keepers store their honey in communal storage buildings under the supervision of a caretaker. Every individual seals his own amount of honey, to be sure everybody knows which honey belongs to whom and to control the caretaker14. When the sealings found at Sabi Abyad were used in the control of stored goods they must logically have been applied to the goods at the site itself. Again, the establishment of the actual source of the sealing clay would be decisive in deciding whether the storage option is to be preferred above the exchange model. Of course, a combination of the two explanations is also a possibility.

. Duistermaat and G. Schneider As described above, the Sabi Abyad sealings show a large amount of different seal motifs and an enormous amount of different seals have been used. It can be argued that this large amount of different seal images is an indication for the amount of places where the sealings have come from 15. Therefore, it was decided to test most of the sealings carrying seal im pres ions. In this way one might be able to establish whether similar seal motifs belong to the same compositional group, and which motifs are local to the site of Sabi Abyad. Six preliminary analyses carried out at the Maison de l'Orient in Lyon indicated that these six were probably all coming from the Balikh Valley, most probably from the site itself16. But since so many different persons were active in the sealing system, it could not be excluded that many other sealings may have come from farther away. Thus it was necessary to analyse a rather large amount of samples. Many seal designs and individual seals were only attested once or twice. To include only the sealings carrying impressions of the most used seals implied the danger of excluding exactly the possible 'foreign', perhaps less attested sealings. On the other hand, none of the less-used motifs was prefered over any other when it came to the question of whether any of these motifs could have a faraway provenance. It was therefore decided to test as many different sealings as possible. To compare the sealings with samples that beyond doubt come from Sabi Abyad itself, and in the absence of doorsealings, six samples of clay from level 6 walls were included. Obviously, these walls must have been made of local clays 17. In addition, 6 samples from jar stoppers that did not have any seal im pres ions were included. In sealing studies, it is often argued that these jar stoppers were used as lids and did not function in any system of control like the sealings 18. They are therefore likely to have been applied at the site itself, and may be treated as comparison samples representing local clays. For comparison 15. Charvt, 1994. 16. M. Le Mire, pers. comm. 17. The walls at Sabi Abyad in level 6 were built of pis, layed down in alternating layers of varying colour and consistency. From each of these alternating layers two samples were taken. Although Verhoeven and Kranendonk, 1996 44, in their discussion of the level 6 architecture, remarked that the clay from these layers probably came from different sources, the present analyses show that this is not the case. All wall samples are very similar in chemical composition, indicating one common source of clay. More likely, the different consistency of the various layers is due to a different temper material added to the clay. During excavation it was noted by K.D. that two of the described layers are heavily straw tempered and crumbly, while the third was compact and fine. Most probably, this was done for technical reasons, just as normal mudbricks are heavily tempered and the mortar is not. The different colours may have resulted from the burning of the walls, giving the straw tempered layers a more reddish and the compact mortar layers a more grey colour according to the porosity of the material. 18. Dohmann-Pflzner, in press. : Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998

RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND SAMPLE SELECTION The problems outlined above presented us with one major question concerning the provenance of the sealing clays : can it be proved that the majority of the sealings came from outside the immediate surroundings of Sabi Abyad, or were they of local origin? In the first case, we would have been lead to follow in more detail the line of interpretation that places sealing practices in a context of exchange. When the latter would be proved to be more likely, we would have to deal with the fact that the sealings were applied at Sabi Abyad itself, most probably in storage practices. This leads to our main research question : 1) Can it be proved that the sealing clay comes from outside the site of Sabi Abyad or its immediate surroundings, or not? Moreover, when different chemical groups would occur, some more questions were thought to be relevant. Composit ional groups are not in itself meaningful, but gain explanatory power from the overlap with archaeologically defined groups. Further questions then are, whether these different composit ional groups can in any way be tied to : 2) different groups of seal designs, i.e. groups of people using seals, 3) different contexts of the sealings at Sabi Abyad, or, 4) different containers sealed by the sealings, e.g. pottery and basketry. 14. Hallaq, 1994.

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purposes with other sites in the Balikh valley, a sample was included from a sealing found on the surface of Tell Mounbatah in the Balikh valley, a site contemporary to Sabi Abyad. One clay sample from a mudbrick wall at nearby Tell Hammam, a clay sample collected south of Tell Hammam near the bridge over the Balikh river, and 9 samples from Roman common pottery from Tell Hammam are included. A total amount of 177 samples from Sabi Abyad were analysed. All samples were analysed in Berlin, except for six pieces that were analysed in the Maison de l'Orient in Lyon by M. Le Mire. The l aboratory at Lyon uses the same techniques as the one in Berlin and results are comparable 19. However, to be certain that the core group of Sabi Abyad sealings was not biased due to small differences in measurements between the two institutes, the Lyon sealings were always kept in a separate group.

levigated kind. Also, the sealings were not fired on purpose. Moreover, regarding the very homogeneous composition of Northern Mesopotamian clays, it was expected that differences in clay composition for the sealings would be very small. It was therefore decided that (XRF) analysis of the chemical composition of the sealing clays would yield more information than thin-section analysis. The purpose was not in the first place to establish the composition in itself, but rather to compare all the different samples with each other, to see whether they would group according to variables like seal design, and to compare them with a group of "local" (originating from Sabi Abyad) and a few "non-local" samples. Clays in North-Eastern Syria are characteristically rich in calcium (between 10 % and 30% CaO) and magnesium. Such raw materials geologically are called marly clays or marls. Trace elements show high chromium and nickel contents. The similarity of these clays is due to the similar geological fo rmation of clay beds in Northern Mesopotamia. This means XRF : ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES that differences between various sources of clay will be small, although not impossible to detect20. X-Ray Fluorescence analysis is a technique used to char It was not always possible to take 1 gram samples, because acterise the chemical composition of an object. In archaeology, sometimes a sealing was too small to remove 1 gram of clay XRF is often used to characterise objects and compare them without severe damages (Table 1). Of the 177 samples from to known sources of raw materials, with the purpose of locating Sabi Abyad 31 pieces were prepared with 0.1 gram of clay. the place of origin of an object. In this way, an attempt is In table 3, presenting the original data, these samples are marked made to establish scientific measures for the movements of with the symbol *. The results of the analyses for these objects over any distance from the source of the raw material small samples are comparable to those of the main group. to the findspot. XRF is often used in this way for 'sourcing' This was tested by taking a second sample of 0.1 gram for pottery. several 1 gram samples, and comparing the two measurements. The analysis requires a small amount of the material (0.1-1 The fact that the two measurements were identical implies gram) to be pulverised, ingnited at 880 C and melted into that the different measurement and calibration procedures ap glass discs using lithiumborate as a flux. These discs are then plied for large and small samples yield the same results. Sys exposed to X-rays. The intensities of the characteristic s tematic differences between these two groups of samples were econdary X-rays are measured and, through calibration with only detected in certain trace elements (Cr, Cu, Zn, Rb and some 50 international geochemical reference samples, are cal Sr). Therefore, for the statistical analysis of the Sabi Abyad culated to concentrations of the oxides of the elements in per sealings mainly the major elements were used. The analytical centage of weight (for major elements) or in parts per million precision, which is the limiting factor in distinguishing comp (ppm, for trace elements). This composition can then be com ositional groups, is less than 1 % relative in both groups of pared to other samples of objects or of source materials. samples. For trace elements in the 1 gram samples it is between For pottery, microscopic and thin-section analyses should 1 % and 5 % relative. Accuracy, important for the use of pub precede any chemical tests, because with the former methods lished data, is checked by analysis of international reference much can already be said on fabric composition and texture, samples and of analysed samples exchanged between labo inclusions and aspects of firing and shaping of the vessels. ratories and, for the elements given in table 3, was found to In the case of our sealings, however, no inclusions were added be in the range of 1 % to 10% relative. on purpose and the clay itself is of a very fine, probably 19. Galetti, 1994. Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998 20. Schneider, 1994: 101. :

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. Duistermaat and G. Schneider elements (fig. 1) than in those of the characteristic vectors from multivariate calculations. Figure 1 shows all samples from Sabi Abyad, comparing the concentrations of MgO and Na20. The core group of Sabi Abyad sealings is represented by the symbol O, the samples from walls by a . Probability ellipses indicating the 95% probability of belonging to the group were plotted for both groups. The outer ellipse is for the sealings, the inner one for the walls. Clearly these groups largely overlap. The statistical analyses showed that for twelve samples the chemical composition differs somewhat from the main group of sealings. Many of these samples are visible in figure 1, outside the ellipses. Two of these samples have a very different composition from any other sample in the analyses. These are samples D284 and D289, indicated with the symbol in figure 1. The main reason for the difference is the very high calcium content of more than 50%! The sample D284 comes from a clay lid with a variant of the much-used goat motif as a seal impression, while sample D289 comes from a pottery sealing, also with a goat motif seal impression. Both were found in the same room as most of the other sealings (Table 4). As regarding seal motif or provenance on the site, there is no reason to expect that these sealings came from elsewhere. For sample D284 the element concentrations were calculated as if the sample had a normal CaO content and, thus, as if the clay is only diluted by more calcite. Indeed, it appeared that the composition of the clay after this calculation is largely similar to that of the other sealings, indicating that the high calcium content may be mainly due to a different clay layer but not to a different provenance. Another group of sealings that is markedly different from the main sealing group is marked with the symbol in figure 1 (D286, D297, D298, D316, D323, D335, D338, D353, D372, D377). Main characteristics of the sealings in this group are the high Na2O contents connected in at least four samples with high Cl contents (Cl, like S, can not be detected accurately because it is lost during firing or ignition of the samples). This points to the presence of salt in the samples. High salt contents are usually due to secondary effects on the clay. These can be brought about by the use of salty water in preparing the clay for manufacturing the object, but may also be due to the influences from post-depositional processes. The high S contents in six of these samples may also be due to the latter cause. Indeed, these six samples (D298, D316, D323, D335, D372, D377) come from sealings that have been lying closely under the surface of the excavated squares between 1991 and 1992. In the latter excavation season, sealings were found in rooms that were re-investigated in 1992 but already Palorient. vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998

RESULTS Table 2 shows the average concentration and group standard deviation for most major and trace elements, for each of the sample groups analysed. The table shows that the samples in all groups are very much alike. Consequently, the difference between samples from a different origin will not be immediately clear, and has to be tested with statistical procedures. During this analysis some samples were excluded from the main group of Sabi Abyad sealing samples. Statistical tests indicated that their composition is somewhat different from that of the main group. The reasons for their exclusion will be elaborated on below. After exclusion of these divergent samples, a coherent core group of 146 samples from Sabi Abyad sealings remained. Table 3 lists the sample names of the samples of the core group and of the other groups, together with the concentrations of the elements. When samples are excluded from the main group by means of statistical procedures, it does not immediately follow that they must have a different provenance. Small differences in composition can be due to different clay layers used or different ways of preparing the clay. It has to be kept in mind that chemical analyses and statistical procedures will always yield groups of samples. However, when these groups can not be correlated to archaeological variables they are irrelevant. These groups then represent merely the coincidental variation in the used clay. SAMPLES FROM SABI ABYAD : SEALINGS, WALLS AND JAR STOPPERS The computer program ADCORR21 was used to compare the core group of Sabi Abyad sealings to the samples from the other groups. In this analysis, the major elements SO2, TO2, AI2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, Na2, K2O and the trace elements Cr, Ni and Zr were used. The output of this program includes a table listing for each sample the multivariate proba bility of belonging to the core group, based on a Mahalanobis Distances calculation. This rather severe test showed that the samples from Sabi Abyad walls all have a high probability of belonging to the core group of Sabi Abyad sealings. In other words, the chemical composition of Sabi Abyad walls and sealings is similar. Samples deviating from the core group can be seen more clearly in scattergrams of two most varying 2 Brookhaven data handling programs, kindly provided by E. Sayre.

1.

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(Per centII of weight) 1--

00 oeoo oo D OOOoo oso O OSO 0000000*00 oo oo oooooo OO * 00* * 0.631 --I == * a == = = MgO (Per cent of weight) core group of 14 6 sealings from Tell Sabi sealings from Tell Sabi Abyad, analysed in Abyad Lyon (outer 95% probability ellipse) sealings with high CaO values sealings with high NaO values jarstoppers from Tell Sabi Abyad samples from level 6 walls at Tell Sabi Abyad (inner 951 probability ellipse) Fig. 1 : Scattergram of NaO and MgO for the samples from Tell Sabi Abyad. excavated for a large part in 1991. Perhaps, the exposure to rain and sun of these sealings, more than those that were excavated before, has caused a higher salt and gypsum content. On the other hand, the low Mg contents of samples D286, D297, D298, and D338 can not be explained by post-depositional processes. The high Sr contents of these samples also can not be explained by any secondary effects but probably have to do with a slightly different composition of the carbonates in the clay. Perhaps these samples come from a slightly different clay source or clay layer. However, it is not excluded that this is a local source. As to archaeological arguments, the comparison of seal motif, sealed container, and room did not provide any other clues to whether these sealings should form a separate compositional group. Most probably, they are of local origin just as the core group. Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998 From seven jar stoppers without seal impressions (marked with a in figure 1), four show a high probability of belonging to the core group of sealings. Interestingly, three have a bit lower probabilities, but differences are small. These three samples (D389, D390 and D395) are also visible in figure 1 , outside or just at the edge of the 95 % ellipse. D390 and D389 contain very much CaO (29.9% and 34.6% respectively) and, consequently, less of most of the other major elements. The same may apply to these jar stoppers as was argued above for samples D284 and D289. Sample D395 has again high Na20 and Cl concentrations (1 .57 % and 0.41 % respectively), and may be comparable to the samples from the group marked with the symbol (see above). This jar stopper, however, was found in a newly excavated room together with other sealings that show normal salt concentrations. Perhaps these

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three jar stoppers should be viewed as coming from outside showed that the samples from Tell Hammam have a probability the site of Sabi Abyad. More likely, the differences in chemical of 0.0 % of belonging to the Sabi Abyad group. The pottery composition with the core group are due to a different clay from Tell Hammam thus differs in composition from the Sabi source at Sabi Abyad used for the jar stoppers. Because of Abyad sealings, certainly not due to a different firing and their function, jar stoppers that remain unsealed do not have very unlikely due only to an added temper. Not surprisingly, to be of such a fine, levigated clay as the sealings22. Indeed, when considering that Hammam and Sabi Abyad are only a it was noted for D389 and D390 that the clay was of a medium few kilometres apart and situated along the same Balikh river, fine texture, with fine straw inclusions. The sealings, on the the differences are small. The sample from Tell Mounbatah contrary, mostly are of very fine texture with no visible in also has a probability of 0.0% to belong to the Sabi Abyad clusions. This result shows that jar stoppers without seal im sealing group, even if it falls within the Sabi Abyad ellipse pres ions were not necessarily made of the same clay as the in figure 2 (comparing Zr and SO2). In the light of the uni sealings. This is probably related to their function as a lid formity of clays in North-Eastern Syria, it was to be expected instead of a sealing. When a different clay source was indeed that differences between samples from the Balikh valley as used for the jar stoppers, it is very unlikely that this source a whole would be small. has to be sought outside the Balikh valley. Although it can theoretically not be excluded that somewhere Although all six samples analysed in Lyon fall within the in the Near East a clay source with similar composition as ellipse of the core group in figure 1 (marked with O), they the clay used for the walls of Sabi Abyad was used for sealings are grouped somewhat on the edge of the figure. This might sent to Sabi Abyad, this is not very likely. The analyses show that there is no reason at all to suggest that the core group be largely due to small differences in laboratory results. The results of the Berlin and Lyon laboratories differ somewhat of sealings came from outside Sabi Abyad. Indeed, the similarity for a few of the trace elements, but are generally comparable with the clay from local walls and the dissimilarity with samples to each other. The motifs and reverses of the sealings do not from other places indicate that the core group of sealings came give any indication whether these six might be of a different from the site itself or its immediate surroundings. Summarising, most of the samples from the Sabi Abyad provenance. Indeed, this would be a striking coincidence, as the six samples sent to Lyon were selected at random from sealings form a very coherent compositional group. These the main group. The analyses in Lyon already showed that samples are very similar to local clay samples from the walls all six samples came definitely from the Balikh valley, and at Sabi Abyad, while they differ from clays from Tell Hammam most probably from Sabi Abyad itself23. and Tell Mounbatah. For a small number of sealings (n = 6, or 3.5% of all analysed Sabi Abyad sealings), clay may have been used from a local but different clay bed than the main SABI ABYAD SAMPLES COMPARED group of sealings. TO SAMPLES FROM OTHER SITES To compare the samples from Sabi Abyad, two groups of samples from other sites in the Balikh valley have been included here, including samples from Tell Mounbatah and Tell Hammam. The samples from Tell Hammam and Tell Mounbatah are visible in figure 2, with the symbols T and + respectively. From the figure, it is immediately clear that the variation in the group of Hammam samples is much larger than in the group of Sabi Abyad sealings. The Hammam samples clearly fall outside the Sabi Abyad ellipse. The Mahalanobis test, too, 22. From experimental levigation of clay samples from other sites in North-Eastern Syria, the significant difference in the Cr/Ni ratio of the sealings and the jar stoppers may be explained by a different stage of levigation of the same raw material. 23. Le Mire, pers. comm. CONCLUSIONS The main conclusion of the chemical analyses of Sabi Abyad sealing clays must be that there is no reason to suggest that any of the sealings comes from a place outside the Balikh valley. Most probably, they all come from the site itself or its immediate surroundings. This means that the sealing of goods was a completely local matter and did not involve any exchange of sealed goods over longer distances. Because the exchange of goods at site-level does not involve their sealing, it follows that the sealings from Sabi Abyad have most probably been used to control local storage practices. Especially when written documents that have accompanied the sealed goods are absent, as is the case at Sabi Abyad, it is very helpful Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) (per centII of weight) 1-

97

0 00 0 0 00 0 0 * * 0 000000 00 00 00 00 00 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 0* 0 000 00 00000 0 000 00 0 0 00 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 00 000 0 0 0 0 0 00 00000 00 00 0 00 0 0

43.24 --III + == = =

177.3 Zr (parts per million) core group of level sealings from at Tell Abyad samples 6 walls TellSabi Sabi Abyad(951 probability ellipse) sealing from from Tell Mounbatah samples from Tell Hammam

Fig. 2 : Scattergram of Zr and SO2, comparing the core group from Sabi Abyad with samples from Tell Hammam and Tell Mounbatah. when such a conclusion can be safely made. The chemical analyses greatly reduced the number of possible explanatory models for the sealings. Also, although it is clear that exchange of products over long distances did take place at Sabi Abyad, this practice was probably not controlled by an administrative system using sealings. Elsewhere, the fact that numerous people at the site used seals to control stored goods is further elaborated on24. There, it is argued that the sealings were used by a certain part of the inhabitants of the village at Sabi Abyad (viz. herdsmen) to secure their belongings in communal, guar ded storehouses at the site. Another conclusion is that there is no differentiation in compositional groups according to seal motif or design group, 24. Akkermans and Duistermaat, 1997 ; Duistermaat, in press. Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998 findspot or sealed object. This only strengthens the suggestion that all sealings come from one place, that is, the site of Sabi Abyad. The analyses did not yield any information on the relevance of the seal design groups to actual social groups, like families or clans. People that sealed different goods, or stored their goods in different buildings, all used clay from the same local source. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was made possible by the support of the Rens-Holle Stichting and by a grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scient ificResearch. Dr. M. Le Mire from the Maison de l'Orient in Lyon kindly analysed six sealings for a preliminary study at the 'Laboratoire de Cramologie de Lyon'. We thank her for allowing us to incorporate the results of these analyses in the present paper. The Balikh Valley Regional Archaeological Project, directed by Dr.

98 Peter M. M. G. Akkermans and based in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, is thanked for offering the possibility to study the sealings and to take the samples for analysis. Kim DUISTERMAAT P.O. Box 36103 Damascus Syria Gerwulf SCHNEIDER Arbeitsgruppe Archdometrie, Freie Universitat Berlin Institut fur Anorganische und Analytische Chemie Fabeckstr. 34-36 14195 Berlin Deutschland BIBLIOGRAPHY Akkermans P.M.M.G. 1993 Villages in the Steppe. Later Neolithic Settlement in the Balikh Valley, Northern Syria. Ann Arbor International Monographs in Prehistory. Akkermans P.M.M.G. (ed.) 1996 Tell Sabi Abyad. The Late Neolithic Settlement. Report on the Excavations of the University of Amsterdam (1988) and the National Museum of Antiquities Leiden (1991-1993) in Syria. Istanbul Nederlands Historisch-Archeologisch Instituut. Akkermans P.M.M.G. and Duistermaat K. 1997 Of Storage and Nomads The Sealings from Late Neolithic Sabi Abyad, Syria. Palorient 22,1 17-44. Akkermans P.M.M.G. and Verhoeven M. 1995 An Image of Complexity The Burnt Village at Late Neolithic Sabi Abyad, Syria. American Journal of Archaeology 99 5-32. Alizadeh A. 1988 Socio-economic and Political Complexity in Highland Iran during the Fifth and Fourth Millennia The evidence from Tall-i Bakun A. Iran 16 17-34. Breniquet 1996 La disparition de la culture de Halaf. Les origines de la culture d'Obeid dans le Nord de la Msopotamie. Paris ERC. Caldwell D.H. 1976 The Early Glyptic of Gawra, Giyan and Susa, and the Development of Long Distance Trade. Orientalia Nova Series 45 227-250. Charvt P. The Seals and their Functions in the Halaf- and Ubaid-cultures 1994 (A case study of materials from Tell Arpachiyah and Niniveh 2-3). In Wartke R.-B. (d.) Handwerk und Technologie im Alten Orient. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Technik im Altertum 9-15. Mainz von Zabern. Dohmann-Pflzner H in press Die Tonverschlusse aus dem Archiv des mittelassyrischen Statthalterpalastes in Tall eh Hamad/Dur-katlimmu. In KlJHNE H. (ed.) Die Grabungen am Westhang der Zitadelle von Tall eh Hamad Dur-katlimmu, BATSH.2 Duistermaat K. 1996 The Seals and Sealings. In Akkermans P.M.M.G. (ed.) Tell Sabi Abyad. The Late Neolithic Settlement. Report on the Excavations of the University of Amsterdam (1988) and the National Museum of Antiquities Leiden (1991-1993) in Syria : : : : : : : : : : : : :

. Duistermaat and G. Schneider 339-401. Istanbul Nederlands Historisch-Archeologisch Instituut. A View on Late Neolithic Sealing Practices the case of Tell in press Sabi Abyad. In Proceedings of the International Round Table on Sphragistic Studies, Administrative Documents in the Aegean and their Near Eastern Counterparts. Naples. Ferioli P. and Fiandra E. 1990 The Use of Clay Sealings in Administrative Functions from the Fifth to First Millennium in the Orient, Nubia, Egypt, and the Aegean Similarities and Differences. In Palaima T.G. (ed.) Aegean Seals, Sealings and Administration. Proceedings of the NEH-Dickson Conference of the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory of the Department of Classics, University of Texas at Austin, January 1 1-13, 1989. Aegaeum 5 221-229. Lige. 1994 Archival Techniques and Methods at Arslantepe. In Ferioli P. et al. (eds) Archives Before Writing. Proceedings of the International Colloquium Oriolo Romano, October 23-25, 1991 : 149-162. Roma. Galetti G. 1994 Analisi di ceramica antica con fluorescenza X - Confronte dei resultati di tre laboratoi. In Burragato F., Grubessi O., Lazzarini L. (eds) 1st European Workshop on archaeological ceramics: 205-215. Roma. Hallaq D.M. 1 994 Les Sceaux des Grottes du Jebel el Akhdar. In Ferioli P. et al. (eds) Archives Before Writing. Proceedings of the International Colloquium Oriolo Romano, October 23-25, 1991 : 395-402. Roma: Scriptorium. KlRKBRIDE D. 1974 Umm Dabaghiyah a Trading Outpost? Iraq 36 85-92. Le Brun A. and Vallat F. 1978 L'origine de l'criture Suse. Cahiers de la Dlgation Archologique Franaise en Iran 8 : 1 1-43. Paris Association Palorient. Matthews R.J. 1991 Fragments of Officialdom from Fara. Iraq 53 1-15. Rothman M.S. and Blackman M.J. 1990 Monitoring administrative spheres of action in late prehistoric northern Mesopotamia with the aid of chemical characterization (INAA) of sealing clays. In : Miller N.F. (ed.) Economy and Settlement in the Near East Analyses of Ancient Sites and Materials. MASCA Research Papers in Science and Archaeology, Supplement to Volume 7 : 19-45. Philadelphia : MASCA. Schneider G. 1994 Rohstoffe und Brenntechnik von Keramik in Nordmesopotamien. In Wartke R.-B. (ed.) Handwerk und Technologie im Alien Orient. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Technik im Altertum 99-109. Mainz von Zabern. Verhoeven M. and Kranendonk P. 1996 The Excavations Stratigraphy and Architecture. In AkkermansP.M.M.G. (ed.) Tell Sabi Abyad. The Late Neolithic Settlement. Report on the Excavations of the University of Amsterdam (1988) and the National Museum of Antiquities Leiden (1991-1993) in Syria: 25-118. Istanbul: Nederlands Historisch-Archaeologisch Instituut. Zettler R.L. 1987 Sealings as Artifacts of Institutional Administration in Ancient Mesopotamia. Journal of Cuneiform Studies 39 197-240. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998 :

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) Table 1 : Number and description of clay samples analysed with XRF. Sample Tell Sabi Abyad Sealings with seal impression sealings Sealings with seal impression, analysed in Lyon other samples Jarstoppers without seal impression from Sabi Abyad Level 6 walls at Sabi Abyad Other sites Sealing from the surface of Tell Mounbatah Clay, mudbrick and ceramics from Tell Hammam n 158 6 7 6 1 11 Sample names D270-D275, D282-D388, D396-D442 SBA196-SBA201 D389-D395 D276-D281 D443 1744, 4421, 5982-5983, 5985-5991

99

Table 2a : Tabulation of the average (]) and group standard deviation (per cent) (2) for major elements, for each of the sample groups mentioned in table 1, in percentages of weight (data in the first line calculated for the core group of 146 sealings only, without the 12 divergent ones). Sealings with impr. {n = 146) Sealings with impr. Lyon (n = 6) Jarstoppers Sabi Abyad (n - 7) Level 6 walls, Sabi Abyad (-) 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 SiO2 49.10 3.0 49.69 3.1 47.24 6.9 50.03 1.1 46.72 52.04 7.1 TiO2 0.86 5.4 0.87 2.1 0.84 8.3 0.84 0.4 0.77 0.82 7.8 AI2O3 13.30 6.7 13.01 5.6 12.41 12.4 14.96 1.8 12.39 13.68 8.0 Fe2O3 6.66 6.7 6.84 5.4 6.34 11.6 7.38 2.1 5.93 6.73 12.5 MnO 0.11 14.9 0.13 23.2 0.13 35.8 0.12 6.8 0.11 0.12 11.5 MgO 4.72 6.4 4.88 4.2 4.50 13.5 4.84 4.7 3.87 4.92 14.8 CaO 20.63 14.7 19.88 16.5 23.66 28.2 16.90 6.2 25.15 16.44 30.8 Na2O 1.03 14.8 1.26 8.4 1.05 24.5 0.98 10.0 0.84 1.33 69.5 K?O 2.86 8.9 2.70 9.2 2.54 15.8 3.36 6.0 3.73 2.59 18.2 P2O5 0.41 43.8 0.31 31.2 0.32 57.7 0.57 7.4 0.48 0.37 25.9

Sealing Tell Mounbatah (n = 1) Samples from Tell Hammam (n = 11) 1 2

Table 2b : Tabulation of the average (1 ) and group standard deviation (per cent) (2) for trace elements, in ppm. (data in the first line calculated for the core group of 146 sealings only, without the 12 divergent ones). Sealings with impr. (n = 146) Sealings with impr. Lyon ( = 6) Jarstoppers Sabi Abyad (n = 7) Level 6 walls, Sabi Abyad (n = 6) 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 V 126 9.1 143 5.5 129 7.1 123 10.9 107 146 16.7 Cr 281 13.9 272 6.4 307 11.2 218 2.8 234 323 44.5 Ni 131 8.0 159 8.9 124 12.6 151 1.7 118 157 27.2 Zn 104 15.1 105 17.4 93 20.6 118 3.5 96 77 13.8 Rb 69 18.0 69 15.6 60 16.7 73 10.4 49 57 22.8 Sr 413 28.3 415 15.2 377 8.2 407 1.1 919 582 15.3 Zr 180 6.2 217 3.0 174 8.6 164 6.0 172 146 9.6 Ba 339 11.6 341 3.5 360 10.0 314 5.7 319 311 5.7

Sealing Tell Mounbatah (n = 1) Samples from Tell Hammam (n = 11) 1 2

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100

. Duistermaat and G. Schneider

Table 3 : Original data (analysis of ignited samples, major elements are normalized to a constant sum of WO %, not including S and Cl. "k indicates a sample of 100 mg, all other samples are 1 gram). Sample Settlings from D270 D271 D272 D273 D274 D275 D282 D283 D285 D287 D288 D290 D291 D292 D293 D294 D295 D296 D299 D300 D301 D302 D3O3 D304 D3O5 D306 D307 D3O8 D309 D310 D311 D312 D313 D314 D317 D318 D319 D321 D322 D324 D325 D326 D327 D328 D329 D33O D331 D332 D333 D334 D336 D337 D339 D340 D341 D342 D343 D344 D345 D346 D347 D348 D349 D350 D35 D352 D354 D355 D356 D357 D358 D359 D360 D361 D362 D363 1 Vlajor elements (per cen by weight) SiCb TiO2 Fe2O3 MnO MgO Tell Sabi Abyacl, core group. 50.74 0.856 13.63 6.83 0.0971 4.87 46.34 0.821 12.05 6.08 0.1271 4.34 49.10 0 903 12.95 6.60 0.0850 4.60 47.82 0.795 12.56 6.10 0.1096 4.49 48.50 0.875 12.85 6.55 0.1099 4.67 50.91 0.879 13.59 6.71 0.0873 4.90 48.19 0.870 12.85 6.60 0.1153 4.33 48.76 0.899 12.91 6.61 0.1059 4.55 48.09 0.859 12.38 6.36 0.1201 4.67 50.97 0.911 13.75 7.01 0.1052 4.83 50.33 0.905 13.38 6.66 0.1123 4.83 46.19 0.795 12.28 5.88 0.1041 4.80 49.43 0.872 14.09 6.92 0.1314 4.45 50.16 0.843 14.77 7.29 0.1212 5.20 48.75 0.888 12.68 6.42 0.1305 4.69 51.79 0.943 13.88 6.98 0.0944 5.00 48.3 1 0.829 12.76 6.14 0.1092 4.55 47.89 0.724 13.42 6.32 0.1079 5.13 47.00 0.856 13.54 6.80 0.1243 4.57 51.73 0.947 13.93 7.20 0.0988 4.97 48.15 0.813 12.75 6.19 0.1259 4.81 48.50 0.827 12.84 6.23 0.1102 4.33 49.96 0.906 12.82 6.52 0.0816 4.53 49.05 0.871 12 85 6 19 0 0922 4 84 50.35 0.885 13.63 6.79 0.0862 4.94 50.88 0.913 13.67 7.00 0.1207 4.91 45.33 0.863 11.71 6.12 0.1169 4.18 50.06 0.801 14.94 7.18 0.1243 5.11 47 06 0 859 12 44 6 36 0 1225 4 56 48.74 0.907 12.68 6.59 0.1098 4.66 47.11 0.791 12.36 5.97 0.1055 4.45 46.57 0.838 12.44 6.42 0.1236 4.43 50.37 0.921 13.34 6.91 0.1158 4.74 46.82 0.760 12.38 5.87 0.1024 4.80 48.27 0.843 13.38 6.66 0.1009 5.36 48.18 0.875 12.40 6.36 0.1329 4.68 47.89 0.842 12.80 6.39 0.1253 4.48 47.17 0.856 12.42 6.38 0.1873 4.59 49.77 0.872 12.96 6.51 0.1268 4.82 47.31 0.831 12.43 6.29 0.1061 4.84 51.42 0.929 13.58 6.89 0.1011 4.81 49.24 0.884 13 58 6 80 0 1393 4 80 49.59 0.835 13.76 6.85 0.1091 4.23 48.97 0.878 13.10 6.56 0.1068 4.81 50.73 0.877 14.63 7.26 0.1066 4.98 49.39 0.879 12.89 6.55 0.1066 4.75 49.00 0.877 13.14 6.55 0.1110 4.93 48 41 0 843 12 04 6 14 0 1329 5 06 47.22 0.796 13.43 6.60 0.1134 5.03 49.90 0.853 15.27 7.48 0.1020 4.92 46.93 0.873 12.21 6.24 0.1306 4.51 47.74 0.845 12.32 6.28 0.1238 4.61 48.27 0.881 12.36 6.41 0.1278 4.65 50.38 0.869 13.09 6.52 0.0949 4.81 47.44 0.868 12.20 6.30 0.1245 4.58 49.63 0.896 13 ?4 6.88 0.1566 4.91 48.40 0.884 12.83 6.42 0.1297 4.22 47.99 0.873 12.63 6.40 0.1246 4.64 51.07 0.918 13.38 6.79 0.0922 4.79 49.06 0.856 12.91 6.44 0.1033 4.65 50.56 0.824 15.02 7.20 0.1324 4.94 47.40 0.818 12.50 5.99 0.1119 4.47 46.10 0.760 11.88 5.73 0.1224 4.25 48.58 0.828 12.83 6.33 0.1130 4.77 49.59 0.882 13.26 6.62 0.1272 4.79 50.80 0.922 13.41 6.80 0.0967 5.04 47.93 0.873 12.47 6.27 0.1573 4.64 50.57 0.851 15.02 7.43 0.1151 5.08 48.84 0.878 13.03 6.62 0.1592 4.84 49.55 0.896 13.24 6.79 0.121! 4.95 44.46 0.713 11.22 5.34 0.1259 4.05 50.47 0.923 13.40 6.82 0.0998 4.79 44.82 0.726 11.34 5.45 0.1331 4.01 47.99 0.875 12.60 6.44 0.1192 4.51 49.18 0.887 13.12 6.67 0.1220 4.85 49.85 0.875 14.02 6.96 0.1073 4.90 CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 total 18.41 26.39 21.81 23.96 22.47 18.71 22.79 21.85 23.79 17.90 19.64 25.96 19.61 17.05 22.84 17.07 23.39 21.17 23.15 16.88 22.92 23.34 21.19 22 20 19.09 18.25 28.19 17.21 24 55 22.31 25.06 25.16 19.44 25.27 21.00 23.51 22.96 24.37 20.65 24.05 18.04 20 23 19.46 21.28 16.94 21.38 20.94 21 94 22.48 17.00 25.30 23.64 23.25 20.14 24.32 19.78 22.46 23.12 18.18 21.80 16.83 24.67 27.34 21.92 20.47 18.63 23.74 16.29 21.06 20.06 30.42 19.33 29.79 22.92 20.59 18.98 1.14 0.98 0.99 0.98 0.96 1.06 1.12 1.11 0.95 1.03 1.05 1.13 1.28 0.78 0.97 1.07 0.99 0.98 0.90 1.06 1.46 0.95 1.08 0 96 1.06 1.02 0.98 0.77 1 09 1.06 1.12 1.09 1.05 0.94 1.32 1.06 1.10 1.08 .04 .24 .11 06 .10 .03 ().92 .07 .20 1 31 0.82 0.80 0.99 1.02 1.12 1.06 1.16 1.15 1.25 1.03 1.29 0.98 0.79 1.18 1 .03 0.94 1.00 1.05 1.05 0.77 1.08 1.12 0.96 1.05 0.97 1.07 1.08 0.92 3.01 2.51 2.61 2.79 2.65 2.83 2.77 2.84 2.52 2.96 2.80 2.48 2.94 3.20 2.40 2.89 2.67 3.29 2.73 2.86 2.39 2.59 2.58 2 66 2.87 2.88 2.24 3.21 2 54 2.59 2.68 2.59 2.81 2.69 2.60 2.49 3.01 2.57 2.84 2.59 2.78 2 86 3.23 2.91 3.06 2.65 2.86 3 01 2.80 3.16 2.56 2.67 2.61 2.73 2.57 2.94 2.95 2.68 3.04 2.75 3.21 2.57 2.50 2.85 2.87 2.88 2.59 3.22 2.97 2.88 2.36 2.82 2.45 2.95 2.95 2.91 0.393 0.340 0.328 0.392 0.355 0.318 0.379 0.356 0.259 0.520 0.285 0.339 0.269 0.593 0.240 0.292 0.238 0.935 0.304 0.292 0.366 0.243 0.302 0 253 0.269 0.330 0.233 0.563 0 379 0.326 0.327 0.299 0.269 0.332 0.426 0.279 0.382 0.339 0.394 0.271 0.296 0 376 0.803 0.334 0.470 0.293 0.361 1 076 0 679 0.487 0.223 0.724 0.292 0.280 0.412 0.378 0.420 0.474 0.426 0.416 0.462 0.255 0.263 0.813 0.362 0.324 0.246 0.613 0.507 0.362 0.314 0.258 0.293 0.490 0.504 0.456 99.02 99.80 100.06 99.24 100.44 98.27 100.15 99.51 99.85 100.44 98.67 86.36 99.22 99.80 99.36 99.24 99.31 98.95 100.12 100.27 97.65 100.31 100.09 100 53 96.28 100.14 100.14 100.43 99 64 100.20 99.07 99.69 100.54 99.07 98.06 99.22 95.91 99.43 98.08 99.39 100.16 98 19 99.83 98.28 99.89 99.33 99.07 99.34 99.66 99.10 100.15 99.44 99.34 98.99 99.62 99.48 97.93 99.74 99.70 99.20 98.47 100.03 99.83 99.65 98.63 100.12 99.51 100.17 98.61 99.64 99.28 100.21 99.45 99.42 99.25 100.20 (S) 0.24 0.26 0.24 0.19 0.26 0.27 0.25 0.20 0.57 0.22 0.30 12.97 0.20 0.33 0.82 0.85 0.14 0.53 0.30 0.28 0.67 0.18 0.47 0 16 0.22 0.39 0.33 0.24 1 08 0.48 0.17 0.72 0.20 0.17 0.97 0.64 3.61 0.49 0.89 0.23 0.22 1 81 0.41 1.75 0.39 0.66 1.00 0.38 0.57 1.22 0.25 0.37 0.81 0.13 0.34 0.68 0.88 0.45 0.77 1.66 0.40 0.13 0.32 0.50 1.51 0.28 0.37 0.28 1.64 0.55 0.22 0.17 0.22 0.37 0.90 0.23 (Cl) 0.12 0 10 0.09 0.11 0.11 0.08 0.06 0.08 0.21 0.06 0.11 0.09 0.16 0.07 0.08 0.06 0.18 0 11 0.15 0.15 0.09 0.32 0.14 0.15 0.14 0.12 0.42 0.12 0 16 0.17 0.13 0.12 0.15 0.23 0.23 0.13 0.09 0.11 0.18 0.23 0.24 0 23 0.14 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.07 0.15 0.18 0.06 0.09 0.14 0.07 Trace elements (ppm) V Cr Ni Zn 139 118 126 122 130 133 123 122 131 125 131 103 138 116 145 146 139 112 128 146 139 127 131 121 120 131 133 119 115 130 113 133 137 108 124 130 115 133 122 127 140 124 118 126 132 137 127 121 108 125 129 133 133 125 129 130 117 136 137 122 118 118 129 108 130 149 143 122 123 146 117 140 110 114 126 122 252 315 342 280 329 268 321 318 328 298 298 250 240 241 340 321 269 193 309 324 251 284 330 265 283 307 359 218 304 334 289 330 314 244 269 324 276 303 286 325 308 267 272 274 245 323 278 317 233 225 349 317 336 290 322 310 316 328 313 301 208 280 271 272 276 323 314 236 275 318 297 302 286 324 279 283 120 120 128 120 127 139 132 133 114 133 133 108 147 141 129 143 119 141 135 143 129 113 118 112 125 132 109 140 127 127 116 128 132 116 151 133 130 144 129 121 137 143 142 129 139 125 129 131 133 147 123 127 120 124 119 134 140 120 138 126 139 119 120 125 129 127 119 143 128 126 111 130 115 134 126 144 105 83 93 95 96 111 98 99 92 102 91 79 116 117 90 96 91 153 94 95 108 97 82 103 110 94 80 128 92 85 93 88 161 97 91 102 101 118 96 95 115 108 118 101 110 95 103 122 135 126 90 97 92 112 92 98 107 100 103 108 119 96 98 1 11 97 96 87 117 100 93 102 97 116 101 97 105 Rb 126 59 63 102 64 11 1 58 61 64 74 69 54 103 75 61 71 94 116 59 71 67 61 65 67 68 73 54 80 58 62 106 61 70 86 59 63 58 59 68 62 71 68 52 69 78 65 65 50 65 74 60 61 63 78 59 69 54 62 65 66 75 100 65 66 70 73 64 81 66 69 87 69 80 60 66 70 Sr Zr Ba 461 363 368 379 376 310 327 358 356 353 355 263 289 346 362 287 329 284 293 295 352 422 338 354 328 398 349 368 332 374 382 298 364 304 275 340 313 412 358 458 352 315 326 337 332 313 323 390 310 325 365 376 364 319 375 390 352 379 311 337 361 350 367 289 337 320 345 334 313 353 344 326 311 342 334 304

383 175 387 172 307 188 438 185 342 180 346 195 360 177 364 191 331 174 367 187 352 191 399 158 368 190 428 168 341 186 304 198 392 193 693 149 311 165 301 199 413 180 368 187 315 189 498 185 313 188 346 190 330 183 463 166 386 192 392 194 404 193 335 175 345 193 687 179 394 159 344 191 452 177 404 181 360 179 344 166 321 194 357 181 457 171 394 183 380 175 319 180 387 183 584 189 560 165 378 165 423 192 399 180 345 183 345 200 437 190 371 187 464 190 395 185 356 194 371 175 396 167 421 189 389 176 513 176 386 183 358 194 503 190 401 168 407 183 540 190 413 161 336 191 408 159 406 184 410 184 339 187

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Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) Table 3 (continued) Sample (Core group D364 D365 D366 D367 D368 D369 D370 D371 D373 D374 D375 D376 D378 D379 D380 D381 D382 D383 D384 D385 D386 D387 D388 D396 D397 D398 D399 D400 D401 D402 D403 D404 D405 D406 D407 D408 D409 D410 D411 D412 D413 D414 * D415 D416 D417 D418 D419 D420 D421 D422 D423 D424 D425 D426 D427 D428 D429 D430 D431 D432 D433 D434 D435 D436 D437 D438 D439 D440 D441 D442 Major elements SiO2 TiO2 continued) 49.80 0.899 50.73 0.905 48.62 0.856 49 01 0.822 49.25 0.8^0 49.03 0.868 50.81 0.879 48.75 0.863 49.46 0.828 50.09 0.837 51.00 0.872 49.79 0.885 49.18 0.876 48.20 0.844 50.40 0.892 49.82 0.841 48.56 0.821 49.37 0.793 49.04 0.841 49.81 0.867 50.82 0.901 49.49 0.803 49.59 0.813 51.33 0.884 51.43 0.930 49.24 0.886 47.52 0.871 51.30 0.913 51.20 0.924 52.03 0.932 47.66 0.872 49.63 0.895 49.90 0.884 50.45 0.813 50.18 0.841 49.52 0.839 48 7/) 0 893 48.41 0.890 48.81 0.879 48.46 0.884 50.08 0.910 48 49 0817 49.58 0.897 48 95 0 849 49.69 0.914 49.86 0.853 49.16 0.813 50.71 0.864 47.41 0.804 48.99 0.826 50.11 0.908 49.93 0.903 50.42 0.906 46.56 0.827 51.55 0.915 50.99 0.918 50.24 0.895 49.60 0.888 48.41 0.851 47.96 0.813 50.46 0.864 48.41 0.824 48.21 0.890 48.85 0.869 49.47 0.832 48.28 0.746 50.11 0.846 50.85 0.902 48.66 0.858 47.40 0.769 (per cent by weight) Fe2O3 MnO MgO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 total (S) 13.39 13.40 12.83 13.96 13.44 12.83 14.68 14.32 14.45 14.73 15.89 13.18 13.02 12.80 13.89 13.22 13.22 14.97 15.00 13.98 13.29 13.61 13.79 15.26 13.65 13.24 12.37 13 70 13.43 14.01 12.55 13.34 13.85 15.16 15.07 13.31 12 53 12.73 12.69 12.83 13.69 12 95 13.11 13 04 13.07 15.05 15.18 15.67 12.80 14.01 13.26 13.26 13.42 12.29 13.68 13.52 13.34 13.11 13.23 12.45 14.52 13.37 12.59 13.08 14.45 13.13 14.54 13.77 12.48 12.20 6.71 0.1141 6.83 0.1133 6.46 0.1309 6.89 0.1220 6.71 0.1 137 6.45 0.1167 7.27 0.1220 7.19 0.1171 7.17 0.1077 7.28 0.1094 7.73 0.0937 6.63 0.1031 6.53 0.1135 6.28 0.0948 6.99 0.1065 6.56 0.0969 6.45 0.1037 7.15 0.1440 7.30 0.1092 6.98 0 1123 6.78 0.0941 6.63 0.1246 6.76 0.1241 7.55 0.0859 7.14 0.1029 6.75 0.1062 6.33 0.1406 7 01 0 0903 6.87 0.0906 7.24 0.0957 6.32 0.1336 6.66 0.1258 6.87 0.0976 7.43 0.1056 7.38 0.1104 6.50 0.1170 6 43 0 1 023 6.59 0.1232 6.55 0.1154 6.64 0.1521 7.09 0.1400 6 48 0 1163 6.81 0.1072 6 69 0 1393 6.78 0.1161 7.57 0.1082 7.45 0.1008 7.91 0.1248 6.46 0.1001 7.05 0.1272 6.66 0.1283 6.58 0.1262 6.69 0.1475 6.12 0.1293 6.75 0.0927 6.82 0.0907 6.63 0.1344 6.53 0.1073 6.61 0.1139 6.24 0.1053 7.30 0.1298 6.55 0.1177 6.40 0.1156 6.57 0.1162 7.05 0.1139 6.29 0.0995 7.17 0.1188 6.96 0.1065 6.31 0.1438 5.99 0.1181 4.77 4.78 5.08 4.94 4.90 4.91 4.99 5.21 4.84 5 08 4.69 4.70 3.94 4.41 4.68 4.79 4.90 4.89 4.98 4.64 4.89 4.85 4.91 4.60 4.80 4.85 4.56 491 4.80 4.90 4.95 5.06 4.58 5.12 5.48 4.75 5 02 4.69 4.85 4.23 4.19 4 63 4.66 5 00 4.50 4.79 4.99 5.11 3.97 4.64 4.69 4.75 4.85 4.39 4.81 4.89 5.04 4.77 4.75 3.76 4.44 4.34 4.45 4.59 4.81 4.17 5.08 4.95 5.11 4.51 20.25 19.00 21.43 19 19 19.90 21.24 16.61 19.26 18.81 17.26 15.22 20.36 21.45 22.99 18.07 20.25 21.29 18.17 18.25 18 74 18.82 19.58 19.14 15.69 17.64 20.87 24.11 17 81 18.56 16.44 23.35 20.09 19.96 16.44 16.39 20.53 22 43 22.24 21.57 22.35 18.69 21 97 20.18 20 12 20.92 16.81 17.55 14.92 23.65 19.57 20.04 20.29 19.34 25.59 18.09 18.53 19.59 20.70 21.91 24.05 16.84 21.57 23.43 21.93 18.98 22.16 17.50 17.89 21.14 24.40 .03 .04 .15 1 87 196 .06 3.96 .00 (3.74 180 ().77 .02 .32 .26 .23 .01 (3.92 ().75 ().78 ?1 .05 ().9O ().92 ().79 .07 .08 .07 04 .06 .04 00 .03 0.86 0.77 0.73 .03 00 .08 .11 .19 .42 90 .03 1 .03 .00 0.81 0.74 .32 ().98 .05 .02 .06 ( 3.96 .05 .16 .09 .06 .08 .16 .37 .04 1.02 (3.98 (3.80 .25 (3.82 .09 1.14 1.19 2.75 2.81 2.85 3 16 3 09 2.93 3.19 2.99 2.98 3 21 3.23 2.85 3.18 2.77 3.26 2.99 2.94 3.19 3.13 3 15 2.89 3.15 3.16 3.21 2.86 2.70 2.67 2 78 2.70 2.96 2.77 2.84 2.66 3.17 3.21 2.91 2 55 2.69 2.72 2.86 3.31 2 94 2.88 3 06 2.67 3.40 3.41 3.40 3.09 3.12 2.74 2.79 2.83 2.61 2.72 2.71 2.72 2.80 2.71 3.01 3.48 3.11 2.59 2.65 2.85 3.10 3.15 3.03 2.95 3.00 0.259 0.374 0.554 0 990 0 769 0.535 0.469 0.270 0.589 0.570 0.477 0.446 0.338 0.321 0.451 0.397 0.748 0.549 0.549 0 488 0.417 0.830 0.767 0.554 0.342 0.253 0.326 0 336 0.321 0.322 0.352 0.291 0.299 0.498 0.580 0.456 0 276 0.528 0.663 0.368 0.449 0 370 0.723 1 01 1 0.279 0.529 0.505 0.521 0.370 0.657 0.378 0.324 0.304 0.497 0.309 0.320 0.288 0.399 0.306 0.416 0.572 0.640 0.281 0.323 0.610 0.739 0.642 0.430 1.179 0.393 98.42 99.86 99.26 98.90 99.93 99.01 99.62 100.01 99.98 100.10 99.72 99.56 97.21 90.71 99.94 99.16 99.70 100.32 99.83 99.27 98.22 99.25 98.92 100.24 100.45 99.82 99.19 99 98 99.45 100.46 98.18 99.03 99.74 99.80 100.09 99.01 99.27 99.62 98.70 100.20 99.97 98.19 100.09 99.09 100.24 100.65 97.56 100.48 99.91 99.98 100.04 99.56 100.06 99.26 100.35 99.40 99.43 98.99 99.08 99.33 99.36 99.51 99.46 98.12 99.00 99.47 99.55 99.85 99.20 99.99 1.60 0.29 0.77 1.16 0.31 0.30 1.03 0.57 0.47 0.52 0.61 0.23 1.37 8.93 0.17 0.25 0.59 0.11 0.53 0.81 2.17 0.13 0.16 0.52 0.20 0.93 1.22 0 65 0.21 0.24 1.28 0.52 0.17 0.18 0.32 0.29 0.38 0.34 0.36 0.22 0.44 0.54 0.36 0.94 0.60 0.26 0.24 0.35 0.25 0.70 0.28 0.51 0.32 0.66 0.24 0.56 0.76 0.98 0.92 0.22 0.91 0.30 0.79 2.05 1.16 0.30 0.68 0.33 0.46 0.16 (Cl) 0.11 0.09 0.22 0.12 0.12 0.10 0.12 0.08 0.13 0 10 0.14 0.10 0.06 0.17 0.08 0.12 0.09 0.14 0.15 0.10 0.12 0.11 0.12 0 10 0.08 0.07 0 10 0.10 0.12 0.06 0.08 0.17 0.21 0.14 0.21 0.13 0.28 0.14 0.07 0.07 0.12 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.24 0.13 0.14 0.22 0.07 0.13 0.12 0.16 0.12 0.15 0.11 0.17 0.19 Trace elements (ppm) V Cr Ni Zn 141 141 121 120 121 117 126 126 113 122 142 134 123 100 126 118 105 133 122 117 128 119 121 132 131 132 142 133 140 142 123 123 142 141 117 130 145 143 142 126 123 121 133 114 136 115 113 120 99 118 143 144 141 130 134 145 138 121 116 120 120 103 127 129 125 104 124 133 131 105 277 302 304 262 273 302 264 235 250 246 227 299 295 256 279 257 260 209 243 260 303 252 248 254 309 290 304 290 313 300 292 275 284 212 221 251 313 327 334 316 295 261 305 278 313 228 197 233 229 222 292 299 315 309 290 299 293 293 296 289 254 260 339 281 240 212 241 280 312 253 134 129 125 133 128 143 134 129 134 127 139 126 143 124 147 137 126 133 145 144 130 129 119 151 132 132 129 141 134 145 143 142 152 141 160 122 131 132 129 134 146 127 124 127 128 158 153 153 128 143 128 130 132 125 132 133 135 125 131 126 148 132 124 130 148 135 147 141 125 115 86 87 88 108 99 112 94 96 119 111 117 100 114 96 108 122 120 128 125 119 100 118 114 133 101 109 104 115 99 104 84 78 90 119 106 113 78 111 120 104 103 101 100 113 94 132 140 125 104 121 93 101 94 96 100 101 104 93 97 103 113 121 110 102 135 122 191 107 119 113 Rb 67 71 65 71 68 73 68 71 74 70 78 69 53 54 66 108 66 79 73 63 68 79 78 82 76 69 61 72 69 76 63 70 71 81 79 67 66 64 67 49 59 56 69 69 67 58 77 81 49 56 69 70 72 56 71 67 65 66 60 58 59 53 64 69 74 92 77 74 64 56 Sr 334 336 550 468 429 337 332 336 463 421 403 375 878 453 363 390 556 515 452 393 332 493 482 356 318 359 357 313 309 303 415 380 280 388 421 424 951 860 494 425 552 793 392 497 377 443 449 379 1088 519 365 372 356 383 336 336 329 374 331 1013 632 607 400 413 418 642 438 361 746 457 Zr 193 198 194 182 185 175 186 190 171 176 167 185 195 175 181 194 173 163 167 175 185 173 172 175 194 182 183 187 190 187 174 173 165 169 154 192 181 199 187 184 191 184 180 178 190 169 164 165 176 166 189 189 188 168 188 188 183 185 167 178 181 174 187 181 167 157 169 184 192 170

101

396 355 321 320 336 331 320 272 372 338 334 328 316 244 328 401 293 405 342 324 322 295 317 331 343 329 340 296 374 331 356 330 320 360 359 379 315 421 312 298 364 410 376 322 369 290 349 343 232 302 471 412 393 358 338 404 368 343 283 328 348 297 341 343 312 310 324 376 355 349

Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998

102 Table 3 (continued)

. Duistermaat and G. Schneider

Major elements (per cent weight) Trace elements (ppm) V Cr Ni Zn Rb Sr Sample SiO2 TiO2 AI2O3 Fe2O3 MnO I vigO CaO Na2O K2O P2O5 total (S) (Cl) Settlings from Tell Sabi Abyad, samples with high NC12O values D286 110 263 132 112 89 865 47 ?6 0 808 1? 42 6 09 0.1055 3.40 24 91 1.51 3 09 0.369 98 53 0.23 D297 51.69 0.921 14.05 7.21 0.1263 3.99 16.72 1.96 2.91 0.378 99.96 0.37 0.14 137 281 146 89 58 832 3 74 D298 49 89 0 882 12 95 6 60 0.1240 20 42 1 87 3 12 0 364 99 42 0 74 0 16 123 327 129 95 54 707 6.56 0.1287 5.09 3.04 2.65 0.319 0.92 D316 49.15 0.876 13.14 19.03 96.27 1.83 113 270 155 96 42 428 D323 49.46 0.816 14.57 7.09 0.0996 5.46 16.36 2.30 3.26 0.554 98.03 1.63 0.48 113 218 135 106 72 414 D335 47.98 0.795 13.13 6.41 0.0907 6.10 20.07 2.54 2.54 0.306 97.15 1.26 1.51 108 224 120 103 55 486 134 274 139 115 55 848 D338 50.54 0.882 13.55 6.90 0.1131 3.51 19.16 1.56 3.37 0.381 99.80 0.43 0.12 D353 48.64 0.784 13.06 6.30 0.0843 5.09 21.34 1.66 2.69 0.324 100.08 0?6 121 260 120 107 56 395 D372 43.83 0.746 11.16 5.59 0.1225 5.55 28.29 1.88 2.31 0.489 96.36 1.85 1.17 120 270 124 99 66 541 D377 47.63 0.832 12.05 5.96 0.1064 5.29 22.84 2.82 2.15 0.290 95.89 1.99 1.39 113 289 109 92 38 469 Settlings from Tell Sabi Abyad, samples witl high CaO values D284 29.36 0.487 1.11 4.39 0.1494 2.74 5 1 .94 1.12 1.79 0.229 98.46 0.76 0.08 76 108 68 62 23 1777 D289 27 71 0 459 1 20 4 00 0 14?5 ? ?0 55 8? 0 98 1 ?4 0?04 98 08 0 80 0 09 68 101 69 90 9 1991 Settlings from Tell Sabi Abyad, samples analyzed at the Maison de l'Orient in Lyon (courtesy M. Le Mire) SBA196 48.03 0.859 12.43 6.52 0.1 1 4.52 23.23 1.37 2.54 0.210 131 285 156 120 57 427 139 241 167 109 76 395 SBA197 51.61 0.868 14.22 7.39 0.104 5.03 16.01 1.10 3.02 0.460 SBA198 50.39 0.881 13.18 6.93 0.115 5.07 18.98 1 .33 2.62 0.320 150 279 160 106 78 388 SBA199 48.42 0.852 12.49 6.54 0.119 4.91 22.50 1.28 2.44 0.270 152 281 153 102 58 406 SBA200 5 .09 0.896 13.41 7.13 0.156 4.92 17.54 1.32 2.99 0.370 144 267 179 121 74 356 SBA201 48.69 0.851 12.41 6.55 0. 1 75 4.87 22.15 1.21 2.63 0.280 144 279 139 78 76 539 Jarstoppers from Tell Sabi Abyad D389 42 ?9 0 73 10 17 5 " 0 200 3 61 34 61 0 9? 98 0 ~>28 9901 0 74 0 ?1 121 328 102 73 47 358 D390 44.62 0.806 1.26 5 79 0.130 4.07 29.88 0.94 2.23 0.228 99.39 1.00 0 13 127 350 116 80 51 364 D39 1 49.44 0.899 13.20 6.75 0.171 4.75 20.66 1.01 2.79 0.306 99.79 0.98 0.10 135 290 133 90 70 402 D392 45.91 0.825 11.83 6.12 0.148 4.32 27.24 0.94 2.41 0.227 100.12 0.49 0.11 136 334 117 84 57 367 D393 48.99 0.832 13.98 7.04 0.110 4.85 19.54 0.84 2.95 0.822 100.11 0.42 0.11 115 256 143 122 68 437 D394 49 30 0 900 38 6 80 0 121 5 17 19 83 28 2 86 0 336 99 29 1 00 0?5 134 293 139 13 66 349 D395 50.73 0.919 13.53 6.87 0.078 4.93 18.36 .57 2.65 0.339 99.7 0.55 0.41 138 307 124 101 65 367 Samples from walls of level 6 architecture. fell Sabi Abyad D276 49 41 0 838 14 57 7 17 0 127 4 7? 18 06 01 3 51 0 54? 99 04 426 0.11 108 224 153 1 17 69 402 D277 49.72 0.839 14.97 7.34 0.119 4.94 17.39 0.98 3.15 0.524 98.67 1.934 0.14 130 218 147 115 75 403 D278 50.35 0 837 14 86 77 11 0 125 4 46 16 70 07 3 67 0 588 99 ?8 3?6 0.09 107 21 152 1 16 62 406 1? D279 49.51 0.844 14 85 0 129 4 98 1771 091 3 18 0 540 99 80 0 986 0.13 132 227 150 16 76 410 D280 50.54 0.841 15.34 7.58 0.108 5.05 15.47 .06 3.37 0.608 100.24 0.577 0.18 132 215 153 120 80 414 0 844 15 17 7 5? 0.84 3 31 99 8? 0 714 D281 50 64 0.120 4.90 16.00 0 623 0.11 131 216 154 126 80 409 Sealing from he surface of Tell Mounbalah D443 46.72 0.767 12.38 5.93 0.112 3.87 25.15 0.84 3.73 0.480 99.39 0.609 0.02 107 234 118 96 49 919 Samples from Tell Hammam : Clay sample 1744 47.65 0.863 15.34 7.41 0.113 5.13 21.06 0.31 1.87 0.233 98.60 0.119 0.02 129 206 167 93 84 552 Mudbrick sample 44? 47 89 0.834 14 58 6 99 0.1 1 5.17 19.31 1.17 3.52 0.403 97.59 0 578 0.58 114 188 152 89 75 619 Roman ceramics 5982 55.09 0.796 13.52 6.23 0.111 4 50 15 16 1 59 2 52 0 455 99 99 0 143 0 05 136 342 129 66 54 632 5983 57.31 0.779 14.12 6.43 0.103 4.56 11.20 2.13 2.87 0.466 99.16 0.454 0.08 164 323 140 74 64 541 56.14 0.835 13.99 6.81 0.122 4.86 12.44 .82 2.53 0.424 100.01 0.257 0.02 169 442 173 66 52 517 5985 5986 49.67 0.785 12.45 5.91 0.104 4.89 22.11 1.19 2.45 0.412 99.15 0.395 0.07 133 315 123 75 52 764 5987 53.31 0.832 13.40 6.33 0.110 4.21 17.54 1.31 2.55 0.375 99.31 0.181 0.07 130 297 129 72 55 644 5988 47.58 0.782 1 1 .67 5.59 0.117 3.83 25.79 1.24 2.92 0.455 98.46 0.563 0.21 145 276 1 12 72 49 642 5989 5 .94 1.001 13.86 8.58 0.151 6.05 14.32 1.69 2.10 0.267 99.70 0.302 0.03 198 738 226 91 47 454 5990 52.05 0.782 13.27 6.92 0.127 5.91 15.66 2.12 2.73 0.397 97.66 0.546 0.06 158 385 217 84 42 583 599 54.98 0.775 14.67 7.27 0.122 5.40 12.30 .43 2.71 0.313 100.08 0.077 0.00 152 288 202 68 63 517 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Zr 177 194 193 170 164 160 193 168 182 176 136 138 220 207 219 212 218 225 152 166 186 171 167 186 192 164 162 164 164 163 166 172 159 151 156 141 130 152 160 147 154 123 137

Ba 363 302 297 334 303 280 300 306 306 291 331 534 349 347 354 321 338 338 358 369 415 396 318 347 329 287 312 306 328 335 319 319 324 316 323 316 324 312 324 282 286 291 329

Palorient, vol. 24/1. p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) Table 4 SAMPLE D270 D271 D272 D273 D274 D275 D276 D277 D278 D279 D280 D281 D282 D283 D284 D285 D286 D287 D288 D289 D290 D291 D292 D293 D294 D295 D296 D297 D298 D299 D300 D301 D302 D303 D304 D305 D306 D307 D308 D309 D310 D311 D312 D313 D314 D316 D317 D318 FIELD NO. 09 1-302 091-237 091-235 091-213 091-355 091-311 SN93-103 SN93-102 SN93-104 SN93-101 SN93-99 SN93-100091-333 091-204 O9 1-291 O9 1-256 091-294 O9 1-322 91-216 091-206 091-220 O9 1-227 091-257 093-142 091-107 091-081 093-128 O9 1-331 091-477 091-085 091-121 091-209 091-064 091-217 091-212 093-192 091-210 091-289 091-296 091-116 091-122 091-092 091-347 091-215 091-319 091-478 091-352 091-260 ROOM II/6 II/6 1 1/6 II/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 SEAL NO. 1 VARIETY SEAL NO. 2 VARIETY REVERSE OBJECT A.2 2 basketry A. 2 1 2 basketry y a:? 7 A.I 3 2 basketry A.2 1 17 convex object A.2 1 2 basketry level 6 walls level 6 walls level 6 walls level 6 walls level 6 walls level 6 walls A. ' 4 jar A. ? 1 basketry A. ? 8 pottery A.2 4 pottery A.I 4 2 basketry A.I 3 2 basketry A.I 3 basketry A. ? 4 pottery A.I 5 2 basketry A. ? 4 jar A.I 2 2 basketry A.2 2 18 straw bundles ? A.I 5 8 pottery A.I 1 17 convex object A. ? 17 convex object A.I 1 4 jar A.2 2 basketry A.I 4 jarneck A.I 5 8 pottery A.I 3 2 basketry A. ? 2 basketry 7 A. ? '7 A. ? 1 basketry A. ? 2 basketry A.2 2 1 basketry A.I 2 1 basketry A.I 2 2 basketry A.I 2 1 basketry A. ? 17 convex object A.I 1 17 jar ? A.I 2 5 basketry A.I 2 3 basketry A.2 1 2 basketry 7 A.2 1 convex object A.I 17 convex object 3 A.2 1 2 basketry 1 1 1 1 CLAY COLOUR dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey reddish brown dark grey reddish brown dark grey grey brown grey brown orange brown dark grey dark grey orange brown brown grey dark grey dark grey light brown dark grey orange brown dark grey dark brown dark grey dark grey dark grey orange brown light brown dark grey dark grey light brown dark grey grey brown dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey light brown dark grey light brown grey brown dark grey grey brown light brown dark grey grey brown

103

II/6 II/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 11/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 II/l 1 1/6 1 1/6 1 1/7 1 1/6 1 1/6 II/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 II/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 IX 1 1/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 1 1/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6

CLAY TEXTURE very fine very fine medium fine fine very fine compact mortar soft crumbly soft crumbly compact mortar compact mortar soft crumbly medium medium fine very fine fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine very fine medium very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine fine fine fine fine very fine

Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998

104 Table 4 (continued) SAMPLE D319 D321 D322 D323 D324 D325 D326 D327 D328 D329 D330 D331 D332 D333 D334 D335 D336 D337 D338 D339 D340 D341 D342 D343 D344 D345 D346 D347 D348 D349 D350 D351 D352 D353 D354 D355 D356 D357 D358 D359 D360 D361 D362 D363 D364 D365 D366 D367 FIELD NO. 093-102 091-108 091-251 091-488 091-485 091-243 091-115 091-371 091-219 O9 1-373 091-300 091-218 091-370 091-351 091-313 091-473 091-297 091-330 091-326 091-234 091-242 091-318 091-118 091-225 091-095 091-222 092-180 091-307 091-096 091-070 091-309 091-301 091-447 093-123 O9 1-252 091-254 091-258 091-336 093-099 091-129 093-131 091-283 091-304 091-239 091-240 091-317 091-337 091-341 ROOM II/7 II/6 II/6 11/6 11/6 11/6 11/6 11/6 1 1/6 1 1/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 11/6 II/6 II/6 1 1/6 11/6 II/6 V/7 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 VI/3 II/7 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/7 II/6 II/7 II/6 1 1/6 11/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6

. Duistermaat and G. Schneider

SEAL NO. 1 VARIETY SEAL NO. 2 VARIETY REVERSE OBJECT CLAY COLOUR A.I 6 2 grey brown basketry A.I 1 2 light brown basketry A.I 3 2 dark grey basketry A. ? 2 brown grey basketry A.I 5 2 dark grey basketry A.I 3 2 dark grey basketry A.I 1 1 yellow brown basketry > T.I 1 > light brown T.I 2 dark grey basketry T.I 1 damaged reverse dark brown T.I 1 4 dark grey pottery T.I 1 2 grey brown basketry ? T.I 1 wood ? light brown > T.I 1 pottery ? grey brown T.I 1 2 dark grey basketry T.I 1 14 dark grey bag B.2 4 1 grey brown basketry B.2 4 2 dark grey basketry B. ? 2 orange brown basketry B.2 4 3 plaited mat dark grey B.2 1 D.I 2 2 grey brown basketry B.2 5 2 grey brown basketry B.2 4 2 dark grey basketry B.3 1 2 orange brown basketry B.2 3 2 grey brown basketry B.2 2 2 dark grey basketry B.3 2 2 dark grey basketry B.I 1 2 dark grey basketry B.I 2 17 light brown pottery ? B.2 3 3 plaited mat grey brown C.I 1 2 basketry dark grey C.5 1 2 dark grey basketry C.6 1 10 jar light brown C.2 3 2 dark grey basketry C.I 1 2 grey brown basketry C.I 1 D.I 1 2 grey brown basketry C.I 1 D.I 1 2 grey brown basketry C.I 1 2 dark grey basketry C.2 3 2 dark grey basketry C.2 2 2 dark grey basketry C.2 3 B.3 1 2 dark grey basketry ? 2 light brown basketry C.I 1 D.I 1 2 dark grey basketry C.4 1 2 light brown basketry C.3 1 17 pottery ? dark grey C.I 1 2 grey brown basketry C.I 1 D.I 1 2 dark grey basketry C.I 1 2 dark grey basketry

CLAY TEXTURE fine fine fine very fine very fine very fine very fine coarse fine very fine very fine fine coarse coarse very fine very fine very fine fine medium very fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine very fine fine fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine fine very fine fine fine fine fine medium very fine fine fine

Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS DITIONS 1998

Chemical analyses of sealing clays and the use of administrative artefacts at Late Neolithic Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria) Table 4 (continued) SAMPLE D368 D369 D370 D371 D372 D373 D374 D375 D376 D377 D378 D379 D380 D381 D382 D383 D384 D385 D386 D387 D388 D389 D390 D391 D392 D393 D394 D395 D396 D397 D398 D399 D400 D401 D402 D403 D404 D405 D406 D407 D408 D409 D410 D411 D412 D413 D414 D415 FIELD NO. 091-132 091-105 091-099 091-093 091-484 92-269 O9 1-346 92-277 091-320 091-476 091-207 092-120 091-067 091-106 091-223 091-306 O9 1-339 092-060 091-303 91-323 91-255 92-361 091-181 091-174 091-136 91-376 091-198 92-362 092-276 091-325 92-179 O9 1-299 091-310 O9 1-329 91-314 091-248 O9 1-249 092-239 093-110 91-338 O9 1-246 93-141 093-138 093-094 091-288 091-357 093-121 091-224 ROOM II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 V/7 II/6 V/3 II/6 11/6 11/6 V/7 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 V/6 IT/6 II/6 II/6 V/7 II/6 II/6 11/6 II/6 IT/6 V/7 V/3 II/6 V/7 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 II/6 11/6 V/7 II/7 II/6 II/6 II/ 1 II/l II/l II/6 II/6 II/7 II/6 SEAL NO. 1 VARIETY SEAL NO. 2 VARIETY REVERSE OBJECT C.4 1 2 basketry C.3 1 17 convex object C.4 2 2 basketry C.4 1 2 basketry C.I 1 D.I 1 2 basketry 7 C.6 1 7 C.I 1 2 basketry 7 C.6 1 ? C.2 1 2 basketry E.2 1 2 basketry E.I 2 8 oval pottery 7 E.3 1 ? E.I 3 17 convex object E.I 1 17 pottery ? D.I 2 2 basketry D.I 2 2 basketry D.I 2 2 basketry 2 D.I 4 basketry D.I 2 3 basketry D.2 1 2 basketry D.2 1 2 basketry 12 pottery 12 pottery 12 pottery 12 pottery 12 pottery 12 mini vessel 12 pottery I.I 2 damaged reverse I.I 1 2 basketry 1.2 1 2 basketry G.2 1 17 leather ? G.I 1 2 basketry G.I 1 5 stone bowl ? G.2 1 7 F.I 1 2 basketry F.I 1 2 basketry F.3 1 7 7 F.2 1 2 basketry F.I 2 2 basketry F.I 1 2 basketry AA.l 1 damaged reverse AA.l 1 7 7 AA.l 1 18 straw bundles ? 7 S.I 1 7 9 S.I 1 7 R.I 1 3 plaited mat R.I 1 1 basketry CLAY COLOUR dark grey dark grey dark grey light brown brown grey dark grey dark greybrown grey brown dark grey dark grey grey brown dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey grey brown grey brown dark grey dark brown grey brown dark grey brown grey dark grey dark grey dark grey light brown dark brown grey brown grey brown dark grey light brown grey brown dark grey dark grey brown grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark grey dark brown light brown dark greybrown dark grey light brown dark grey grey brown

105

CLAY TEXTURE very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine medium very fine very fine fine very fine very fine fine fine very fine fine medium medium medium very fine medium fine fine fine fine very fine very fine fine medium medium fine very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine fine medium fine very fine medium very fine very fine

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106 Table 4 (continue SAMPLE D416 D417 D418 D419 D420 D421 D422 D423 D424 D425 D426 D427 D428 D429 D430 D431 D432 D433 D434 D435 D436 D437 D438 D439 D440 D441 D442 D443 SBA196 SBA197 SBA198 SBA199 SBA200 SBA201 1744 4421 5982 5983 5985 5986 5987 5988 5989 5990 5991 FIELD NO. ROOM 091-335 II/6 092-241 V/7 091-205 II/6 093-120 II/7 091-221 II/6 O9 1-232 1 1/6 91-415 II/6 91-315 11/6 091-345 II/6 091-471 11/6 091-104 11/6 091-271 11/6 091-486 II/6 091-110 II/6 1 1/6 091-305 1 1/6 091-180 091-285 1 1/6 091-292 11/6 091-350 II/6 092-181 V/7 092-268 V/7 92-175 IV/ 12 092-05 1 V/6 O9 1-344 II/6 O9 1-226 1 1/6 91-353 VI/2 091-086 11/6 Tell Mounbatah 091-238 11/6 091-321 II/6 O9 1-244 II/6 091-208 II/6 091-259 II/6 091-253 II/6 Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam Tell Hammam

. Duistermaat and G. Schneider

SEAL NO. 1 VARIETY SEAL NO. 2 VARIETY REVERSE OBJECT ? V.I 1 9 V.I 2 7 pottery ? K.I 1 9 9 K.I 1 9 L.I 2 4 pottery L.I 1 4 pottery L.I 1 9 M.I 1 4 pottery M.I 1 4 pottery M.I 1 4 pottery 6 stone bowl 5 stone bowl 5 stone bowl O.I 1 1 basketry 0.1 1 2 basketry Q.2 2 8 pottery 9 Q.I 1 9 Q.2 1 8 pottery P.I 2 8 pottery 9 P.I 1 ? 9 Z.I 1 basketry ) Y.I 1 9 X.I 1 2 basketry W.I 1 7 .iar U.I 1 2 basketry J.I 1 label, try-out N.I 1 17 convex object XX bag A.I 1 17 pottery ? 1.1 1 9 pottery H.I 1 8 pottery ? 4 pottery C.4 1 2 basketry C.I 1 D.I 1 2 basketry river clay mudbrick roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics roman ceramics

CLAY COLOUR grey brown dark grey dark grey grey brown dark grey light brown light brown dark grey dark grey dark grey light brown dark grey dark grey light brown dark grey light brown orange brown buff orange grey dark grey dark grey light brown light greybrown dark grey dark greybrown grey brown light brown grey brown brown grey dark grey light brown orange brown grey brown light brown

CLAY TEXTURE medium fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine fine very fine very fine coarse very fine medium fine very fine very fine very fine very fine fine very fine very fine crumbly very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine very fine

Palorient, vol. 24/1, p. 89-106 CNRS EDITIONS 1998