PETROGRAPHY ANALYSIS OF FOURTH MILLENNIUΜ B.C. POTTERIES AT KUL TEPE (NW IRAN)

Kul Tepe of Jolfa is located at Hadishahr, East Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran. Kul Tepe is situated near the border of Iran with Azerbaijan and Armenia and, thereby, it assumes particular importance in terms of the study of communications with these areas. This site is among the few prehistoric areas of East Azerbaijan province, which has witnessed continuous chronology since the 5th millennium BC until the start of historic when it experienced systematic archaeological excavations. During two seasons of archaeological excavation, evidences such as pottery, architecture, stone tools and etc., relating to late Chalcolithic age and early Transcaucasia culture were found. Due to the complex issues on the expansion method of this culture in Near East, the potteries of this area withhold significant importance to be studied. The availability of absolute dating from Kul Tepe and also the absence of any gap between these two periods added to the significance of present work. Therefore, ten characteristic potsherds from Late Chalcolithic and ten potsherds from Early Transcaucasia culture (Kura- Araxes) were studied by thin section microscopic (petrographic) method. These potsherds had been obtained during the excavations on Kul Tepe. It has been revealed that the combination of them is consistent with the soil of the area and, thereby, the potsherds of Kul Tepe have been locally produced although they show some differences in terms of technical issues and temper.