This fabric is produced from the Quaternary alluvial deposits that dominate the littoral zone of the Gulf of Iskenderun (Hodos et al. 2005: Fig. 4). Variations within this alluvial material, resulting from grading with nearby geological formations, can lead to the fabrics’ matrix ranging from reddish clay to more calcareous clay, such as that from a Neogene clay bed. It is well attested at the site Kinet Höyük throughout its Iron Age occupation, where it was locally produced as a part of a larger cabotage network in the eastern Mediterranean and northern Levant.
Multiple kilns were found in the northeastern corner of the site. Iron Age kilns are quite rare in Anatolia, and this group offers a valuab...
This fabric usually has a red to pink-orange clay matrix, but it may also be a pale greenish buff, likely the result of overfiring - a hypothesis further supported by voids created by burnt calcareous components (such as limestone, chalk, and foraminifera). In ceramics burnt under 750°C, non-plastic inclusions are primarily: serpentinite, calcareous inclusions, chert, amphibole, epidote group minerals, and igneous rock fragments.
Ophiolitic outcrops formed at the boundary of the Aegean-Anatolian and Syrian-Arabian Microplates on the eastern side of the Gulf of Iskenderun are the likely source for most of the serpentinite and plutonic basic nonplastics (Aksu 2005: Fig. 1). Sediments are transported to the alluvial plains of Cilicia from the encircling mountain ranges, including the Amanus Mountains bordering Kinet Höyük to the east. Overall, the groundmass is produced from Quaternary alluvial soil and the inclusions are sourced from the shallow and eroded soils from the higher elevations (~20–30% grade) surrounding Höyük (Bingol 1989).
Hodos et al. observed some variations in this fabric, and formed sub-groups (A–C) based on differences in groundmass, inclusions, and firing temperatures. Group A has a reddish clay matrix and is dominated by serpentinite inclusions, which can vary from silt size up to 2 mm but mostly in the 0.1–0.25 mm range. It usually has much higher chromium values under NAA analysis than Group B (~1150 ppm). Group B has a pink-orange calcareous groundmass, and its most striking characteristic is the often frequent presence of foraminifera. Otherwise, it shares the characteristics of Group A: serpentinite, amphibole, epidote group minerals, chert, and igneous rock fragments (Hodos et al.: 74–76). Perhaps the only clear conclusion from the NAA is that, while they are both local to the area, there are observable chemical differences between Groups A and B. Group C appears to be an over-fired variant of this fabric with a pale greenish buff color (see above).
This fabric is produced from the Quaternary alluvial deposits that dominate the littoral zone of the Gulf of Iskenderun (Hodos et al. 2005: Fig. 4). Variations within this alluvial material, resulting from grading with nearby geological formations, can lead to the fabrics’ matrix ranging from reddish clay to more calcareous clay, such as that from a Neogene clay bed. It is well attested at the site Kinet Höyük throughout its Iron Age occupation, where it was locally produce...