Archaeologist reports prehistoric sites on Mount Ararat in Turkey exhibit containers made from organic material—precursors to the invention of pottery.

Miami, FL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/21/2013 --Harvard University educated archaeologist and president of the archaeological contract firm PRC, Inc., Dr. Joel Klenck, reports that prehistoric sites on Mount Ararat in Turkey, associated with Noah's Ark by several religious organizations, exhibit non-ceramic containers that date before the invention of pottery.

Klenck remarks, "Archaeological sites on Ararat, which comprise a monumental wood structure, smaller wood edifices, and a cave, originate from the Late Epipaleolithic Period (13,100 to 9,600 B.C.). From the cave and the interior of the monumental wood structure, a variety of extremely rare artifacts constructed of a lightweight organic material have been located."

The archaeologist states, "The current consensus of Near Eastern archaeologists is that vessels made of molded lime plaster called white ware or 'vaisselle blanche' were the precursors to the invention of pottery. At the Ararat sites, specifically from the cave site and Locus 3 in the monumental wood structure, we discovered a variety of non-ceramic containers made of an unidentified organic material. These vessels would have quickly decomposed at most archaeological sites but are preserved in the high altitude and freezing temperatures near the summit of Mount Ararat."

Klenck states, "The archaeological material from the Ararat sites has more affinity with assemblages from Australasia and Polynesia, where indigenous communities used—and still use—a variety of containers from animal skins, vegetal material, and gourds. The Ararat material introduces a new level of complexity in discussions about the invention of pottery. Now archaeologists must contend with the notion that both white ware and containers made from organic materials may have influenced the invention and development of ceramic containers. The Ararat assemblage also suggests that containers made from an organic material may represent stylistic templates for early pottery designs. The assemblage from Ararat exhibits excellent preservation and introduces new lines of research in the evolution of ceramic design and manufacturing."

The archaeologist concludes, "The assemblages from the prehistoric sites on Mount Ararat evidence that human populations, during the transition from the end of the Stone Age to the beginning of the Farming Age or Neolithic, used both lime-plaster white ware and lightweight vessels made of organic materials before the invention and widespread use of ceramic containers."

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