Author name:
نوري عبيد كاظم محمد
Supervisor name:
قصي صبحي عباس الجميلي
Abstract:
Al - Massiehly Site is one of the areas located in the district of Shirqat in Salahuddin province, which witnessed charismatic human activity over the history. It also has its importance in Mesopotamia rich history of diverse civilizations and achievements in various fields. Such achievements had their impacts on other contemporary ancient civilizations which existed beside Mesopotamia successive triumph civilizations. One of the most important of such achievements was the invention of pottery, which had a significant impact on the agricultural life and its fruitful outcomes in Mesopotamia.The significance of the invention of pottery production lied in its great influence on social, economic, commercial, religious and artistic life due to the role it played in fulfilling a vital need for a material that is applicable to many essential areas from basic needs of household uses such as keeping liquids or cooking food, to storing some grains such as barley and wheat which have always been associated not only with village and farmers' life; but even with vibrant urban life close to the farming .From there emerged its economic and commercial significance after the emergence of important institutions such as the temple with its high profile position in terms of religious, economic and political importance, which had had a great influence on the hearts of the sons of Mesopotamia. Moreover, pottery pots had their significant impact on religious practices which, in turn, influenced the community customs and traditions as well as the after death rituals, as many of those pots were buried with the dead; in what is nowadays known as the "Funerary Gifts".Pottery was not totally devoted to domestic use as a means of storage or a bowl for drinking, but it also was a masterpiece which has communicated through the ages the message of civilization and the great diversity in areas of thought and artistic creativity, through what those pots carry of decorative methods variety, whether that was geometrical or natural decorations symbolized by geometrical or botanical shapes or by some abstract shapes of human and animal anthropomorphism. These arts are considered as messages which served us well in the know about of the life of ancient people of Mesopotamia, whether in social, economic or technical aspects.Pottery also forms an important link, if not the most important of all, for researchers, through which they could trace the chronology of the roles of civilizations incubated by this historical site, particularly those dating back to the prehistoric times, where a pottery fragment is considered to be the best guide to the habitats of history and the key to many question marks and exclamation points. The aim of studying this type of pottery, which dates back to prehistoric times, is to shed light on the status of this site and the amount and importance of what has been obtained from it of archaeological findings belonging to Al - Ubaid period, as the focus of the study will be such historic monuments from archaeological and technical/ artistic angle as well as the expansion this era had witnessed which included the entire of Mesopotamia and neighbouring countries. Pottery pots, in general, had such technical characteristics and artistic features which were unique to Al - Ubaid period, but were superficially addressed by many researchers while they are worthy better highlighting in a wider scope study, as they were found in several archaeological sites in and out of Mesopotamia, and many archaeological excavations have been dug out which date back to the Al - Ubaid period . Our study of the heritage of this Era has been based on archaeological excavations records as well as reviewing of local researches and studies published in the Journal of Sumer and Arabic studies including the Syrian Arab Archaeological Annual books, in addition to other important references including the study of professor Dr. Taqi Al - Dabbagh on old pottery, and on the foreign sources and references represented by foreign excavations reports at some sites in Mesopotamia, including excavations of the French mission at the site Al - Owaili, as well as the (Iraq) magazine which dealt with some specific aspects of this period . Such sources and references were an excellent guide and a reliable assistance in the opinion confirmation on the subject.In order to focus on one specific aspect of the many aspects of this study, and due to the multiplicity and diversity of the archaeological excavations findings in many sites in Mesopotamia and beyond, it must be stressed that the Al - Ubaid period is one of the important ages which had inherited from its predecessors and left us, the successors, a wealth of culture of impact both at home and abroad. Study the Pottery of this period has not attained a great deal of interest or extensive studying research, taking into consideration its term of time which stretched over nearly the period of (4500 - 3800 B. C), as well as the wide geographic spread it had witnessed in Mesopotamia and neighbouring countries, with the exception of the few studies which have been mostly in foreign languages. It has, therefore, been proven necessary to pursuit research and investigation in order to access those documents in obviously tough circumstances as the country, as a whole, and the research area (Sharqat), in particular, are witnessing serious security deterioration where we faced a lot of difficulties in achieving our aspirations, including scarcity of resources and the difficulty of obtaining missions excavation report. The objective of our study is to investigate the Al - Ubaid period pottery through what had been found at the archaeological site of Al - Massiehly, in addition to conducting a comparative study between the findings of Al - Ubaid period pottery found at the site of Al - Massiehly with similar findings found in other sites of Mesopotamia including industrial techniques analysis and the forms and methods of executing decorations on the hulls of those pots.Our study on this subject was not limited to the archaeological findings alone, but we also took samples of those models in order to conduct laboratory tests and analyses on them to identify their chemical components and the materials they contain, as well as those used in their colouring and decorations.....This study had included four chapters : hapter One : titled "The Geological Formation and Geographical Environment of the Al - Massiehly site"; and has included three sections : First section : Al - Massiehly, The location, the naming, Archaeological Excavations; Second section : The Geographical Environment of the Al - Massiehly site;Third section : The Region's Natural Resources. Chapter Two : titled "Al - Ubaid Pottery : The naming - Its Technology and Styles in light of published sources; this Chapter has included two sections : First section : Al - Ubaid Pottery : The naming - Its Technology;Second section : Styles of the Al - Ubaid Pottery;Chapter Three : titled "An applied comparative study of the Al - Ubaid Pottery from the Al - Massiehly site with other sites of Mesopotamia; and the Chapter has been divided into three sections : First section : Simple Pottery (The Technology, Shapes and the Usage) Second section : Coloured Pottery (The Technology, Shapes, Decorative Patterns and the Usage)Third section : Incised Pottery (The Technology, Shapes, Decorative Patterns and the Usage)Chapter Four : It was titled "Geographical Spread of Al - Ubaid Era Pottery in Light of Archaeological Excavations and Surveys"; and has included two sections : First section : The Geographical Spread of Al - Ubaid Era Pottery in Light of Archaeological Excavations and Surveys in Mesopotamia Second section : The Geographical Spread of Al - Ubaid Era Pottery in Light of Archaeological Excavations and Surveys outside of Mesopotamia Finally, it suffices me that I have been able to shed light on this important site from prehistoric times, namely Al - Massiehly site. Should I have been successful, that would be my ultimate wish, but if mistaken, though, it would be an error of an industrious attempt, as if there was any perfection; it would have to be the Almighty God's alone
