A functional analysis of the artifacts involved in metalworking can provide interesting information about the steps required to obtain a metal object starting from the raw mineral. Combined with a spatial analysis, it allows to evaluate the organization of the work, how people are involved in the production and management of specialized areas in relation to domestic spaces. In this paper, we discuss the role that macrolithic tools played in metalworking, particularly in the processing of minerals, in an Early Bronze Age village in the ancient Near-East (Arslantepe period VI B2, 3100-2800 BC, Eastern Anatolia). Starting with an overview of the distribution of evidence related to metal production in the village, we focus on two sample areas: a metallurgical atelier and a storage room of a house. Through macroscopic observations and use-wear analyses of a sample of macrolithic tools correlated with other data from these areas, the production processes conducted in the metallurgical area are documented, particularly the steps involving minerals before smelting. Moreover, we investigate whether some activities related to metallurgy were conducted within a domestic space to verify if other people aside from the artisans were involved, even marginally, in the production cycle.
Archaeological research conducted in Eastern Arabia over the past decades has provided valuable insights into the social and cultural significance of certain animal species in prehistoric communities. This study examines 26 double-perforated shark teeth from five archaeological sites along Oman's coast, dating from the mid-6th to the late 3rd millennium BCE. These artefacts, ranging from Neolithic shell middens to Early Bronze Age settlements, suggest a consistent tradition of modification and utilization. Morphological and use-wear analyses were complemented by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) on identified residues. An experimental pilot study tested the hypothesis that these double-perforated teeth functioned as arrowheads. Although direct evidence of bow and arrow use in Oman's prehistory is absent, the high frequency of lithic projectile points in Neolithic contexts, combined with experimental findings, provides preliminary support for this functional interpretation.
The South Arabian society of the first millennium BCE was predominantly sedentary, rooted in urban centers and agricultural villages, hierarchically structured around tribal affiliations. These tribes functioned primarily as social and economic units that extended beyond mere genealogy and could organize into larger political entities. The term bayt ("house") most closely captures the concept of family or extended lineage, linked to a broader notion of kinship. Inscriptions and archaeological evidence, such as those from Tamna' and the near necropolis of Hayd bin 'Aqil, shed light on the social ties of this urban center and its familial structures, with funerary inscriptions connecting burial sites to large family groups. Onomastic data also provide insights into marital practices, revealing diverse dynamics. Although women's social status was largely subordinate to the masculine figures of their families, certain cases reveal instances where women achieved degrees of autonomy, including in financial matters. Some sources, both internal and external, hint at particular family arrangements, such as possible traces of matrilineality or alleged cases of polyandry. However, South Arabian society appears to have been predominantly oriented towards monogamous relationships within a primarily patriarchal framework.
The article examines the family in Early Mesopotamia from a broad perspective. The study starts with a lexicographic and theoretical analysis, addressing various issues related to the interpretation and reconstruction of familial structures and their dynamics within Sumerian sources. An introductory section is dedicated to the overview of written evidence on family and the history of studies. The article subsequently examines kinship terminology and explores its application in conveying socio-economic relationships beyond familial connections (pseudo-or fictive kinship). It provides a description of the structure and general features of marriages, addressing terminology for spouses, polygyny, celibacy, and the exchange of women in the framework of "interdynastic" marriages. Ultimately, it explores the various terminologies for in-laws and the broader socio-economic concepts and networks (house, clan, lineage).
Two key research questions frequently arise in secondary literature concerning the family relationships of low-ranking workers recorded in administrative texts from the Ur III period (ca. 2112-2004 BC) in ancient Mesopotamia. The first pertains to marital status, while the second investigates the parentage of children listed alongside workers in these rosters. Given the diverse range of terms related to workers in administrative texts, scholars have attempted to address these questions through textual analysis and the examination of their contexts of attestation. This article focuses on a selection of these hypotheses, offering critical reflections on them. The discussion begins with the primary sources before turning to the research questions themselves, in order to assess both the limitations and the potential of administrative texts for exploring such issues and, consequently, for studying family and kinship structures.
