The View from the North

Abstract. During the Neolithic (ca. 6200-5000 BCE), South Caucasian economies basically developed within a fairly secluded environment that afforded only limited relationships with Syrian or Mesopotamian communities. However, change in interregional dynamics occurred course of 5th millennium, which led to progressive integration Caucasus into wider region included western Iran, eastern Anatolia, northern Levant, Syria and Upper Mesopotamia. This shift resulted development new interaction sphere I have called “Chaff-Faced Ware oikumenè”. As indicated by its name, these interactions are perceptible through similar crafting practices ceramic production, but common trends house building funerary traditions also noteworthy. Alongside trends, it is interesting note obsidian starts be found on few sites, sometimes as far Persian Gulf. In Mesopotamia, systematic use chaff, resulting chaff-faced effect, appear first half millennium BCE. while Chaff-Faced Mesopotamia marks clear concept between Ubaid post-Ubaid periods, evidence from more ambiguous: assemblages known Early Chalcolithic technologically diverse; moreover, unlike pottery world, they do not form regionally coherent stylistic repertoire. any case, emergence does mark sharp conceptual break previous practices, world. Hence, increasing commonalities productions develop middle mid-4th BCE Syro-Mesopotamia alike give rise number intriguing questions, all so several “diagnostic” types used Near-Eastern archaeology identify “Post-Ubaid” “Early Uruk” been gold silver version Majkop kurgans Caucasia. Following reflections published 2010 2012, this paper reviews archaeological data recently collected better insight significance oikumenè an era marked major transformations.