The Late Halafian Lithic Industry of Tell Kashkashok I, the Upper Khabur, Syria

Abstract

This paper presents the flaked flint and obsidian assemblages excavated in 1990 from Tell Kashkashok I, northeast Syria. Albeit a small collection selected from limited excavations, they represent one of the rare Halafian lithic assemblages that help define the lithic craft tradition of the Syrian Jazireh during this period. The analysis shows that the assemblages belong to the Late Halafian industry characterized by the common use of the following: imported raw materials, elaborate techniques for blank production including pressure debitage, snapped rectangular blades and crescent-shaped flake-blades with backed edges for sickle elements, bifacial knives made on tabular flint, and the rare manufacturing of burins. The literature survey reveals that these traits are recognized in the Early-Middle Halafian and the Late Pottery Neolithic industries of the Syrian Jazireh, suggesting that the Halafian lithic tradition of the region was established through indigenous cultural development. At the same time, the survey reveals that they do not occur in the neighboring regions as a package but in different combinations by regions. Future research into those regionally different patterns would provide a means to interpret the complex Halafian cultural dynamics from a perspective not examined in prior research that emphasized pottery analysis.