Geochemical characterization of clay deposits in the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) and the implications for archaeometric study of ancient ceramics

Pınar Gutsuz; Mustafa Kibaroğlu; Gürsel Sunal; Sinem Hacıosmanoğlu

doi:10.1016/j.clay.2017.03.004

Geochemical characterization of clay deposits in the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) and the implications for archaeometric study of ancient ceramics

Pınar Gutsuz, Mustafa Kibaroğlu^*, Gürsel Sunal, Sinem Hacıosmanoğlu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Geological Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Clay-rich deposits of the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) were investigated using chemical methods to explore compositional characteristics of the clays within the valley and for distinguish chemical groups that can be used as reference materials in archaeometric studies of the ancient ceramic materials in this region. A total of 63 clay samples were collected from different spots throughout the valley and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques. Analytical results demonstrated that the clay-rich basin deposits show compositional variation both in stratigraphic and spatial levels. Parent rocks exposed within the catchment area of the basin deposit (transported to the basin through the main drainage systems of the Orontes, Afrin, and Karasu Rivers), seems to be one of the major factors affecting the compositional characteristics of the basin deposits. Four different geochemical reference groups were identified: the Orontes clay group, Afrin clay group, Karasu clay group and Kırıkhan clay group. Established reference groups provide opportunities for a better understanding of the local ceramic production and the exchange pattern within the valley and between the adjacent regions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	316-333
Number of pages	18
Journal	Applied Clay Science
Volume	141
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2017.03.004
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

This study has been supported by a grant from the Istanbul Technical University (BAP Project no: 36390). We sincerely thank Aslıhan Yener, the director of research at Tell Atchana excavation, who proposed the study presented here and partly supported the fieldwork. We would like also to thank two anonymous reviewers for their carefully reading of our manuscript and their valuable comments and suggestions.

Funders	Funder number
British Association for Psychopharmacology	36390
Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi

Keywords

Amuq Valley
Chemical analysis
Provenance study
Reference material
SE Turkey

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abstract = "Clay-rich deposits of the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) were investigated using chemical methods to explore compositional characteristics of the clays within the valley and for distinguish chemical groups that can be used as reference materials in archaeometric studies of the ancient ceramic materials in this region. A total of 63 clay samples were collected from different spots throughout the valley and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques. Analytical results demonstrated that the clay-rich basin deposits show compositional variation both in stratigraphic and spatial levels. Parent rocks exposed within the catchment area of the basin deposit (transported to the basin through the main drainage systems of the Orontes, Afrin, and Karasu Rivers), seems to be one of the major factors affecting the compositional characteristics of the basin deposits. Four different geochemical reference groups were identified: the Orontes clay group, Afrin clay group, Karasu clay group and Kırıkhan clay group. Established reference groups provide opportunities for a better understanding of the local ceramic production and the exchange pattern within the valley and between the adjacent regions.",

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AU - Kibaroğlu, Mustafa

AU - Sunal, Gürsel

AU - Hacıosmanoğlu, Sinem

PY - 2017/6/1

Y1 - 2017/6/1

N2 - Clay-rich deposits of the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) were investigated using chemical methods to explore compositional characteristics of the clays within the valley and for distinguish chemical groups that can be used as reference materials in archaeometric studies of the ancient ceramic materials in this region. A total of 63 clay samples were collected from different spots throughout the valley and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques. Analytical results demonstrated that the clay-rich basin deposits show compositional variation both in stratigraphic and spatial levels. Parent rocks exposed within the catchment area of the basin deposit (transported to the basin through the main drainage systems of the Orontes, Afrin, and Karasu Rivers), seems to be one of the major factors affecting the compositional characteristics of the basin deposits. Four different geochemical reference groups were identified: the Orontes clay group, Afrin clay group, Karasu clay group and Kırıkhan clay group. Established reference groups provide opportunities for a better understanding of the local ceramic production and the exchange pattern within the valley and between the adjacent regions.

AB - Clay-rich deposits of the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) were investigated using chemical methods to explore compositional characteristics of the clays within the valley and for distinguish chemical groups that can be used as reference materials in archaeometric studies of the ancient ceramic materials in this region. A total of 63 clay samples were collected from different spots throughout the valley and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques. Analytical results demonstrated that the clay-rich basin deposits show compositional variation both in stratigraphic and spatial levels. Parent rocks exposed within the catchment area of the basin deposit (transported to the basin through the main drainage systems of the Orontes, Afrin, and Karasu Rivers), seems to be one of the major factors affecting the compositional characteristics of the basin deposits. Four different geochemical reference groups were identified: the Orontes clay group, Afrin clay group, Karasu clay group and Kırıkhan clay group. Established reference groups provide opportunities for a better understanding of the local ceramic production and the exchange pattern within the valley and between the adjacent regions.

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Geochemical characterization of clay deposits in the Amuq Valley (Southern Turkey) and the implications for archaeometric study of ancient ceramics

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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