![]() Their imagery, however, reveals elements of a basic cosmology, suggesting a religious context and meaning that precedes evidence of their use in administrative contexts. By and large, seals have been studied as administrative and economic tools, part of a developing system of record-keeping in the millennia preceding the first writing. The evidence is a set of imagery carved on small, portable objects such as palettes and seals, as well as their impressions on clay. It considers the connection between those images and a broader Neolithic cosmology and, finally, the ways that both changed as cities replaced villages. This article addresses the visual culture of the Neolithic Near East, in particular that found on seals and sealings, objects often associated with information storage and administration. A complex picture has emerged in which it appears that Domuztepeās prehistoric inhabitants used material culture, particularly ceramics, to express identity, group cohesion and social distinction. Detailed stylistic analysis has employed statistical techniques to identify and assess the strength of stylistic modes of communication (Irving 2001). The pottery assemblage recovered during this excavation has been the focus of analyses designed to probe more deeply into the use and manipulation of ceramic style. This period is important because it encompasses a period of change and social development, when pre-urban societies begin a series of transitions towards urbanization. The site is located in south-eastern Turkey and dates to the Late Halaf period (c. The site of Domuztepe has been a joint excavation project between the University of Manchester and the University of California at Los Angeles since 1995. Pottery decoration in particular, is a rich source of variation, which can provide signifi cant insight into social activities and human interactions. The investigation of ceramic style, however, can offer signifi cant opportunities to assess social activity, development and behavior in past societies. ![]() ![]() There are few ceramic studies that have sought to extend data analysis beyond the creation of chronologies and archaeological cultures.
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