Bayesian mixing models as a tool to explore Bronze Age bitumen trade from Tell Lashkir (Erbil, Iraq)

Resinous deposits in Early Neolithic pottery vessels from the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula

“…BC), archaeological evidence suggests that resinous substances were multifunctional materials used as waterproofing agents, adhesives and decorative materials (Rageot et al, 2021(Rageot et al, , 2016. There is a significant body of research supporting the widespread use of bitumen in the Fertile Crescent (ex: Connan and van de Velde, 2010; Breu et al, 2022) which predates the introduction of agriculture and pastoralism (Bar-Yosef, 1987;Rosenberg and Chasan, 2021). Nevertheless, in Neolithic Europe, mainly birch bark tar and tree resins were chosen for the same applications (Chen et al, 2022;Rageot et al, 2016Rageot et al, , 2021Urem-Kotsou et al, 2018) although bitumen was still used in southern Italy, where accessible deposits existed (Nardella et al, 2019).…”