Personal Ornaments in Prehistory : An Exploration of Body Augmentation From the Palaeolithic to the Early Bronze Age

Beads, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and many other ornaments are familiar objects that play a fundamental role in personal expression and communication. This book considers how and why the human relationship with ornaments developed and continued over tens of thousands of years, from hunter-gatherer life in the cave to urban elites, from expedient use of natural resources to complex technologies. Using evidence from archaeological sites across Turkey, the Near East and the Balkans, it explores the history of personal ornaments from their appearance in the Palaeolithic until the rise of urban centers in the Early Bronze Age and encompassing technologies ranging from stone cutting to early glazing, metallurgy and the roots of glass manufacture. The development of theoretical and practical approaches to ornaments and the current state of research are illustrated with a wide variety of examples. This book shows that far from being objects of display, of little value in archaeological interpretation and often overlooked, these artifacts are key to understanding trade, relationships, values, beliefs and the construction of personal identity in the past. Indeed, more than any other group of artifacts, their variety in material, form, use and distribution opens doors to both wide ranging scientific exploration and consideration of what it is to be human. Acknowledgments What is a personal ornament? Personal ornaments as an academic subject Ornaments in prehistory, a very long story What is in this book? Excavating and interpreting personal ornaments: a process Personal issues – identity, memory and material entanglements Practical issues – procurement, technology and use Economic issues – value and specialization Geographic variation – landscape, materials and ornaments Continuity and change – the long view of ornament use Personal ornaments and the archaeological narrative Shells, the sea and faraway places Bead technologies at the beginning More materials, and the beginning of a long story Artefact biography: Shell beads from Direkli Cave, Turkey Memories of times past New practices in settled life An introduction to stone technology The value of ornaments and recycling Artefact biography: Recycled stone pendant from Boncuklu Höyük, central Turkey Still looking back to times past Changing technologies and new materials The technology of changing colour Production areas and the beginning of specialization Body ornaments Identity in burial? Artefact biography: A blue bead from the site of Barcın Höyük. Trade networks and adventures at sea Complex technologies and making things A bolder, aesthetic and the question of meaning Looking back, the long story Artefact biography: A shell pendant from Canhasan I More new materials, value and trade The seal and beads in ownership How many, who and how? Established specialization Looking forward, history built on strong foundations Artefact biography: Lapis lazuli bead, Başur Höyük Economy - ornaments and specialization Society – ornaments, connections and communications Identity - ornaments in the long term Is it change yet? Envisioning a narrative approach What next? Bibliography Beads, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and many other ornaments are familiar objects that play a fundamental role in personal expression and communication. This book considers how and why the human relationship with ornaments developed and continued over tens of thousands of years, from hunter-gatherer life in the cave to urban elites, from expedient use of natural resources to complex technologies. Using evidence from archaeological sites across Turkey, the Near East and the Balkans, it explores the history of personal ornaments from their appearance in the Palaeolithic until the rise of urban centers in the Early Bronze Age and encompassing technologies ranging from stone cutting to early glazing, metallurgy and the roots of glass manufacture. The development of theoretical and practical approaches to ornaments and the current state of research are illustrated with a wide variety of examples. This book shows that far from being objects of display, of little value in archaeological interpretation and often overlooked, these artifacts are key to understanding trade, relationships, values, beliefs and the construction of personal identity in the past. Indeed, more than any other group of artifacts, their variety in material, form, use and distribution opens doors to both wide ranging scientific exploration and consideration of what it is to be human. Table of Contents Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction What is a personal ornament? Personal ornaments as an academic subject Ornaments in prehistory, a very long story What is in this book? Chapter 2: Personal ornaments, why are they important in prehistory? Excavating and interpreting personal a process Personal issues identity, memory and material entanglements Practical issues procurement, technology and use Economic issues value and specialization Chapter 3: Geography, temporality and interpretation Geographic variation landscape, materials and ornaments Continuity and change the long view of ornament use Personal ornaments and the archaeological narrative Chapter 4: Starting at the beginning the Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic Shells, the sea and faraway places Bead technologies at the beginning More materials, and the beginning of a long story Artefact Shell beads from Direkli Cave, Turkey Chapter 5: Changing times? The Early Neolithic Memories of times past New practices in settled life An introduction to stone technology The value of ornaments and recycling Artefact Recycled stone pendant from Boncuklu Hyk, central Turkey Chapter 6: Settled life and identity the Later Neolithic Still looking back to times past Changing technologies and new materials The technology of changing colour Production areas and the beginning of specialization Body ornaments Identity in burial? Artefact A blue bead from the site of Barcn Hyk. Chapter 7: New technologies and interactions the Chalcolithic Trade networks and adventures at sea Complex technologies and making things A bolder, aesthetic and the question of meaning Looking back, the long story Artefact A shell pendant from Canhasan I Chapter 8: Ornaments and the coming of civilization? - the Early Bronze Age More new materials, value and trade The seal and beads in ownership How many, who and how? Established specialization Looking forward, history built on strong foundations Artefact Lapis lazuli bead, Baur Hyk Chapter 9: Summary - dependencies, interactions and long-term change Economy - ornaments and specialization Society ornaments, connections and communications Identity - ornaments in the long term Is it change yet? Envisioning a narrative approach What next? Bibliography

Beads, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and many other ornaments are familiar objects that play a fundamental role in personal expression and communication. This book considers how and why the human relationship with ornaments developed and continued over tens of thousands of years, from hunter-gatherer life in the cave to urban elites, from expedient use of natural resources to complex technologies. Using evidence from archaeological sites across Turkey, the Near East and the Balkans, it explores the history of personal ornaments from their appearance in the Palaeolithic until the rise of urban centers in the Early Bronze Age and encompassing technologies ranging from stone cutting to early glazing, metallurgy and the roots of glass manufacture. The development of theoretical and practical approaches to ornaments and the current state of research are illustrated with a wide variety of examples. This book shows that far from being objects of display, of little value in archaeological interpretation and often overlooked, these artifacts are key to understanding trade, relationships, values, beliefs and the construction of personal identity in the past. Indeed, more than any other group of artifacts, their variety in material, form, use and distribution opens doors to both wide ranging scientific exploration and consideration of what it is to be human.

Beads, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and many other ornaments are familiar objects that play a fundamental role in personal expression and communication. This book considers how and why the human relationship with ornaments developed and continued over tens of thousands of years, from hunter-gatherer life in the cave to urban elites, from expedient use of natural resources to complex technologies. 0Using evidence from archaeological sites across Turkey, the Near East and the Balkans, it explores the history of personal ornaments from their appearance in the Palaeolithic until the rise of urban centres in the Early Bronze Age and encompassing technologies ranging from stone cutting to early glazing, metallurgy and the roots of glass manufacture. The development of theoretical and practical approaches to ornaments and the current state of research are illustrated with a wide variety of examples. 0This book shows that far from being objects of display, of little value in archaeological interpretation and often overlooked, these artefacts are key to understanding trade, relationships, values, beliefs and the construction of personal identity in the past. Indeed, more than any other group of artefacts, their variety in material, form, use and distribution opens doors to both wide ranging scientific exploration and consideration of what it is to be human About the Author: Emma L Baysal is Associate Professor of Prehistory at Trakya University, Turkey. She completed her PhD on prehistoric craft specialization at the University of Liverpool in 2010. She specializes in, and has published extensively on, prehistoric ornaments and what they can tell us about social structure, technology, communication, trade and beliefs from the Epipalaeolithic period until the Early Bronze Age. She is currently working on artifacts from a range of prehistoric sites in Turkey. ART / General