Utilisation du tribulum au début du IIIe millénaire : des lames « cananéennes » lustrées à Kutan (Ninive V) dans la région de Mossoul, Iraq

Abstract

The technological and functional characteristics of fragmented « Canaanean-type » blades with gloss have been studied using two methods. Microwear traces, identified on 18 fragments (of 1 45 found) in comparison with analysis of flint from ethnographic threshing sledges (tribulum), have shown that the tribulum was used in the Ninivite V village of Kutan (Iraq) in the beginning of the third millennium B.C. This discovery widens the range of functional interpretations of glossed tools, and analysis of this original blade débitage technique more precisely describes the term « Canaanean » as well as the techno-economic system to which it was related. These blades were produced using a metal punch or by pressure, using a lever. At Kutan, there was a local, « low technical investment » economy, co-existing with a standardized production of these « Canaanean » blade fragments, which does not appear to be local. The latter production is characterised by a high level of mastery of knapping techniques, and also implies, by the dimensions of its products (blades can be up to 25 cm), that the raw material is of high quality, abundant and large. This imported blade economy appears to be related to use of blanks for agricultural implements (sickles, followed by re-use in threshing sledges). Key-words : Kutan, tribulum, Canaanean blades, microwear analysis.

Lithic Technologies and Use

“…Other tool groups of limited distribution include the "Çayönü" tools (Anderson and Formenti 1996; see Figure 8.3.13) and flaked axes or adzes, mainly limited to the Levant and Egypt (Coqueugniot 1983;Holmes 1990;Rosen 1997; see Figure 8.3.14). Although widely known in pre-industrial times (Pearlman 1984;Kardulias and Yerkes 1998;Whittaker 1999;Karimali in press), the use of threshing-sledges (tribuli, doukani) in prehistory still remains under investigation (Anderson and Inizan 1994;Shakun 1999).…”

Insights from a tribological analysis of the tribulum

“…An Akkadian cuneiform tablet (2350e2200 BC) with references to a tribulum with ''teeth'' for example, mentions 40, then 80 ''teeth'' [10], which is few if compared with modern tribulae that usually have small inserts [6,16,27]. However, this low number of ''teeth'' would coincide nicely with the very large Canaanean blade segments found in the archaeological sites [3,5], and with the general size of the tribulum drawn on the cylinder seal in Fig. 2 [9].…”

“…Tribulae in use have been frequently documented in religious iconography showing the annual agricultural cycle, for example, in a Spanish Medieval frieze [19], and in historical [18] and ethno archaeological [5,6,16,27] studies from all over the Mediterranean, Balkan and Black Sea areas. Concerning the inserts pounded or glued into the underside of these of threshing boards or threshing rafts, there is great variability in their size [6,16], nature (flint, basalt, iron) [2,16,18], number and pattern of insertion (usually checkerboard-fashion or random).…”

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA ON OBSIDIAN EXCHANGE IN NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA IN IV–III mill. BC.

“…В современной литературе утвердилось мнение, что обсидиановые пластины производились в специализированных центрах, которые могли располагаться недалеко от источников этого сырья, откуда уже распространялись на поселения-потребители [Anderson, Inizan, 1994;. То есть на большинстве поселений происходило только изготовление и использование орудий на готовых пластинах.…”