Specialization and Organization in Obsidian Tool Production in the Early Bronze Age II, Liman Tepe

Abstract

Specialization and organization in obsidian tool production started in the Early Bronze Age II period along with social and political advances. Architectual remains show that in this period Liman Tepe-in Izmir city, Urla district had a centralized authority. In order to establish the effects of this centralized authority on the chipped stone industry and to determine if there was an organization frame for this production, 73 Early Bronze Age II obsidian artifacts originating from Melos island and Central Anatolia were undertaken and compared with the Early Bronze Age I obsidian artifacts. These artifacts that have been obtained from the administrative and religious buildings in the interior citadel, consist of debris, blanks and tools. Among these artifacts there isn't any core and the debris are very few, which indicates that obsidian debitage took place outside the interior citadel and the tools were brought here as finished products. There is no doubt that in Liman Tepe in Early Bronze Age II there was a specialization in obsidian tool production as in the Early Bronze Age I. However, there isn't any trace that shows an organization in that field. On the other hand, the use of imported obsidian in the tool production indicates highly organized long distance trade in Liman Tepe. Keywords: Chipped Stone, Obsidian, Early Bronze Age II, Aegean, Liman Tepe.