Энэхүү олдвор нь эртний бүлгүүд шавар эдлэлийг тусгайлан зохион байгуулж, урлаж байсныг батлах чухал нотолгоо болж байна.
Туркийн баруун хэсэгт орших Измир мужийн Кемалпаша дүүргийн Улучак толгодоос археологичид 8000 жилийн настай керамик болон шавар эдлэл дээр үлдэж хоцорсон хурууны хээг илрүүлжээ. МЭӨ 6000-5840 оны хооронд холбогдох энэхүү урлан нь зургаан өрөө бүхий барилгын цогцолбор дотроос олдсон бөгөөд тухайн үед шавар эдлэл хийхэд ашиглаж байсан багаж хэрэгсэл, дуусаагүй ваар, будаг болон бусад материалууд багтаж байжээ. Тракягийн их сургуулийн профессор Өзлем Чевикийн удирдсан судалгааны баг 2009 оноос хойш уг малтлагыг явуулж байгаа бөгөөд хурууны хээ нь ваар урлах үйл ажиллагаа зөвхөн гэр ахуйн хүрээнд бус, харин тусдаа ажлын байранд ур чадвартай хүмүүсийн дунд явагдаж байсны анхны тодорхой нотолгоо болж байна гэж үзжээ.
Судлаачид уг олдвор дээрээс насанд хүрсэн эрэгтэй, эмэгтэй хүмүүс болон 11 хүртэлх насны хүүхдүүдийн хурууны хээг тогтоосон байна. Энэ нь эртний нийгэмд шавар эдлэл бэлтгэх ажилд тодорхой нэг бүлэг хүмүүс хязгаарлагдалгүйгээр янз бүрийн нас, хүйсний хүмүүс оролцож байсныг харуулж байна. Гэсэн хэдий ч мянга байгаль цаг уурын нөлөөгөөр хурууны хээний зарим хэсэг гэмтэж, бүдгэрсэн байдаг тул нарийвчилсан шинжилгээ хийхэд хүндрэлтэй хэвээр байгаа аж. Профессор Өзлем Чевикийн тайлбарласнаар, хурууны хээг үлдээхдээ хуруугаа хөдөлгөөгүй эсвэл хоёр дахин дарж үрээгүй тохиолдолд орчин үеийн сайн чанарын камер болон дүрслэх аргаар нарийн шинжлэх боломжтой юм.
Улучак толгодоос олдсон уг урлангаас улаан өнгийн пигмент болох гематит байж болзошгүй будаг, тээрэмдэх чулуу, гадаргууг тэгшлэх зориулалттай яс болон өнгөлгөөний чулуун багаж хэрэгслүүд олджээ. Эдгээр олдворууд нь эртний керамик эдлэл үйлдвэрлэх технологи олон үе шаттай байсныг илтгэж байна. Шаврыг хэлбэрт оруулах, боловсруулах, чимэглэхээс өмнө нарийн арга барил шаарддаг байсан бөгөөд судлаачид гэр ахуйн болон урлагийн түвшний үйлдвэрлэлийн технологийн ялгааг илүү гүнзгийрүүлэн судлахаар үргэлжлүүлэн ажиллаж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Archaeologists have found fingerprints preserved on 8,000-year-old ceramics and clay materials at the Ulucak Mound in western Turkey. The site, located in the Kemalpasa district of Izmir province, has revealed important clues about how early communities began producing ceramics in a more organized way.
The workshop dates from between 6000 and 5840 BC and was found inside a six-room building complex containing tools, unfinished pottery, pigments, and other materials linked to the craft. The excavation has been led since 2009 by Professor Ozlem Cevik from Trakya University.
According to him, the fingerprints provides some of the first clear evidence that pottery making was carried out by skilled craftspeople working in a separate workshop area rather than only within domestic spaces.
Fingerprints Left By Ancient Pottery Makers
Among the most remarkable discoveries at Ulucak Mound are fingerprints left behind in clay more than 8,000 years ago. The marks were found on clay loaves prepared before being transformed into ceramic vessels, preserving a rare moment of interaction between ancient people and the materials they worked with.
Researchers identified impressions belonging to several members of the community, including adult men, adult women, and children up to 11 years old. As explained by the Professor Cevik, the discovery suggests that early pottery production was not restricted to a specific group within the settlement. Instead, people of different ages and genders may have participated in preparing the clay before it was shaped into finished objects.
Studying these ancient fingerprints remains challenging because environmental conditions over thousands of years can damage or erase parts of the impressions. In some cases, only fragments of the original marks survive, making detailed analysis difficult.
Cevik explained that modern imaging methods can help researchers examine better-preserved examples and determine the shape and details of the fingerprints. However, the quality of the results depends on how the mark was originally made.
“This depends on the state of a fingerprint’s preservation. If the person who left these prints did not wiggle their finger while leaving these prints or press their finger on exactly the same spot twice, their fingerprints could be imaged quite easily and precisely with a good camera.”
A Workshop That Changed The View Of Early Pottery
The discovery at Ulucak Hoyuk provides new evidence about how pottery production evolved in western Anatolia. The workshop was found inside a six-room building complex containing unfinished pottery, tools, pigments, and other materials linked to ceramic production.
“Accordingly, the pottery workshop discovered in Ulucak Hoyuk, dating between 6000-5840 BC, represents the first clear evidence that pottery making was carried out by possibly a group of skillful pottery crafters, in a distinct area from domestic buildings,” said Cevik.
As reported by Newsweek, the discovery changes researchers’ understanding of how early communities organized specialized production. The presence of a dedicated workshop suggests that some craftspeople may have developed advanced knowledge of clay preparation, shaping techniques, and decoration methods.
Ancient Tools Expose Forgotten Techniques
The objects discovered inside the workshop show that ceramic production involved multiple stages and required practical experience. Researchers uncovered red pigment lumps, possibly hematite, used to decorate pottery, along with grindstones for preparing pigments, bone spatulas for smoothing surfaces, polishing stones, and unfinished coil-built vessels.
These discoveries provide a glimpse into the technical process behind early ceramics. Before becoming finished objects, clay had to be prepared, shaped, refined, and decorated using a combination of tools and specialized skills.
Professor Cevik explained that further research is needed to understand the exact differences between household pottery production and workshop-based manufacturing. Scientists are continuing to examine factors such as clay preparation methods, shaping techniques, and the level of expertise involved.
“We need, however, further analysis to understand what is the technological difference in pottery making between the household and workshop levels. The difference is due to fabric preparation or shaping technologies, level of skill, and so on,” he added.
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