The Obsidian in the Aegean Beyond Melos: An Outlook From Yali

Abstract

Summary. Obsidian is an important material circulated throughout the Aegean. Melian obsidian is found at many sites and researchers have concentrated on Melos without acknowledging obsidian from other sources. This article endeavours to highlight obsidian of non‐Melian origin, such as that from the Carpathians, central Anatolia, Antiparos and, particularly, Yali. It is demonstrated that this latter source was a central one for certain islands, with its obsidian found at a number of sites in the Dodecanese and beyond. It is also emphasized that there were circulation modes of obsidian parallel to that of Melos, as well as different procurement conditions. Therefore, by including important regional sources such as Yali in the obsidian discourse, our understanding of obsidian exchange and circulation is enriched.

Mobility and Early Bronze Age Southern Aegean Metal Production

“…Although it is evident that these two settlements were involved in ore procurement and metal production activities, there is no reason to suggest that they had any limiting control over all or even their immediate resources (Broodbank 2000, 294). Even, if they did control access to their immediate resources, however, a point that remains to be clarified, different set-ups may have been at play for different sources, a diversity already argued in the case of the Yali and Melian obsidian exploitation (Georgiadis 2008). Furthermore, the significant distance of Plakalona and Akrotiraki from the large smelting sites of Seriphos (Kephala and Phournoi) and Siphnos (Agios Sostis) respectively, makes it unlikely that their inhabitants controlled the corresponding metallurgical activities and it is even unclear whether they were involved in them at all.…”

An Assessment of the Current Applications and Future Directions of Obsidian Sourcing Studies in Archaeological Research*

“…(2008, 449) conclude from their analysis of a number of artefacts from two sites in Indonesia that prehistoric humans exploited the same obsidian resources for thousands of years. In other contexts, the archaeological site is not central but, rather, the history of exploitation is described at a single obsidian source, such as Pachuca in modern‐day Mexico (see Ponomarenko 2004) or Yali in modern‐day Greece (see Georgiadis 2008). These types of studies are informative in that they describe where people obtained their raw materials and how this may or may not have changed through time.…”

Marginal Perspectives: Sourcing Epi-Palaeolithic to Chalcolithic Obsidian from the Öküzini Cave (SW Turkey)

“…This is the second characterisation study involving obsidian from the Öküzini Cave, as one artefact from the 1950's excavations was included in the fi rst sourcing project to be undertaken 17. Georgiadis, 2008. 18.…”

“…39. Le Bourdonnec et al, 2005Lugliè et al, 2007 and2008;Poupeau et al, 1998, 2005and 2010, inter alia. 40.…”