Rebecca Biton E-mail: Rebecca@erez.biz M.A. thesis topic: The Technological Properties of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Clay Objects: Kfar HaHoresh as a Case Study Advisors: Prof. Nigel Goring-Morris; Prof. Yuval Goren (Tel Aviv University)

Abstract:

A distinct characteristic of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) is the increased use of clay to produce a wide repertoire of different objects: figurines, tokens, clay vessels (pottery?), clay bricks and clay lumps. The purpose of this research is to investigate the technological properties of different clay items dated to this period, using petrographic analyses. The particular case study used is the site of Kfar HaHoresh in Lower Galilee. The site is interpreted as having functioned as a ritual and mortuary center for neighboring villages. A variety of clay objects were found at the site, making it possible to attempt to understand the technological properties of different clay objects.
The main technological aspects investigated are: identification of the materials used to make the clay objects (i.e., matrix and temper), the effort invested in choosing these materials by the producers and the temperatures to which the objects were exposed. Besides improving understanding of the way the clay objects were manufactured, the petrographic methods may help to identify the place of manufacture of the objects by determining the provenance of the materials used. This information should contribute to the interpretation of regional and interregional relationships between the Kfar HaHoresh population and other PPNB communities.

Projects:

• Sorting and analyzing faunal finds from the site of Lower Palaeolithic Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov (excavations directed by Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar) in the Archaeolozoological laboratory at Giv‘at Ram under the supervision of Dr. Rivka Rabinovich
• Area supervisor in excavations (directed by Prof. N. Goring-Morris) at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Site of Kfar HaHoresh, Lower Galilee