Ceramic Technologies Through Time: Multi-Analytical Investigations to explore the ceramic assemblages from Helawa and Aliawa (Kurdistan, Northern Iraq)

The archaeological excavation at Helawa and Aliawa (Erbil Plain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq), carried out between 2016 and 2024, provided a large quantity of potsherds. Systematic surveys have been conducted at Helawa and Aliawa to establish their chronological framework and assess their spatial extent across different periods and archaeological excavations have uncovered well-preserved stratigraphic sequences of in-situ structures and deposits with associated pottery. These layers provided a valuable framework for typological classification of pottery and for examining the evolution of ceramic production and manufacturing techniques over time. Helawa appears to have been a significant prehistoric settlement, abandoned during the Late Chalcolithic 3 and later reoccupied in the Late Bronze Age. In contrast, Aliawa’s main occupation dates to the Bronze Age, while during the Hellenistic, Parthian, and Islamic periods, the site probably became a large and fortified settlement. This study was carried out over several years and structured through subsequent phases of analysis, each focusing on a different chronological group of samples to unveil diachronic variations in ceramic production. The assemblages from Helawa and Aliawa reflect distinct manufacturing choices and production techniques, reflecting the local traditions, external influences and evolution in technological knowledge and in social structures. The relevant number of samples collected by the Italian Archaeological Expedition of the University of Milan at the Erbil Plain enabled to carry out a comprehensive, multi-analytical characterization study. The analytical campaign provided data on sherds from the four distinct periods at the Helawa site: Halaf (6000-5300 BCE), Ubaid (5300-4000 BCE), Late Chalcolithic (4000-3000 BCE), and so far, for the Middle Bronze Age (2000-1600 BCE), and for the only Late Bronze Age at Aliawa. More than 100 potsherds were analysed using a multi-analytical protocol to investigate the raw material sources, production techniques, and firing conditions of the ceramic samples. The combined use of X-ray powder diffraction (with quantitative phase analysis by the Rietveld full-profile fit protocol) and thin-section petrographic investigation allowed for a comprehensive characterization of their mineralogical and textural features, revealing different manufacturing processes during the different periods. To further examine the often-decorated surfaces and assess the bulk chemical composition, micro-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence analyses were also conducted. The integration of these analytical techniques provided new insights for reconstructing the ceramic production processes at Helawa and Aliawa across the site's different occupation phases, highlighting an evolution in pottery manufacturing practices over time.