The analysis of the 2016 excavation season pottery from Aradetis Orgora was carried out under the responsibility of Laura Tonetto, who processed the whole unearthed material, and finalised the classification of pottery wares used for counting undiagnostic sherds coming from the field. Ceramic material discovered this year belongs to the following periods: Early Late Bronze, Middle Bronze/Late Bronze Transition, Middle Bronze (Trialeti culture), Late Early Bronze period (Bedeni culture), and Early Bronze (Kura-Araxes) period.
Early Late Bronze pottery was divided into four different wares: Burnished, Plain, Kitchen and Light Ware. Burnished Ware (Fig. 26a) is characterised by a finely burnished dark bluish surface (GLEY 2 2.5/5PB, bluish black). Vessels are wheel-made; their fabric is completely reduced and contains mineral gritty inclusions, generally of fine or medium size. They are frequently decorated with geometric designs: wavy comb-impressions, nail impressions, corrugated bands, straight relief lines, impressed isosceles triangles, rope decoration, wavy burnished lines. Bases with impressed decoration are also typical. Rims are usually outturned, thickened or grooved.
Plain Ware (Fig. 26b) is pretty similar to Burnished Ware in its decoration repertoire, but differs from it in the scraped outer surface. Kitchen Ware (Fig. 26c) is recognisable by its surface, which often shows traces of fire. The surface is usually scraped, dark grey in colour, and decorations are limited to nail impressions. Light Ware (Fig. 26d) is immediately recognisable due to the light yellow/pink (10YR 5/3, brown, 5YR 6/3, light reddish brown) outer surface. Its surface is well burnished and decorated with patterns similar to those of the Burnished Ware.
Middle Bronze pottery was divided into three different wares: Black, Painted, and Kitchen Ware. Black Middle Bronze ware (Fig. 26e) is characterised by a burnished dark bluish surface (GLEY 2 3/5PB, very dark bluish grey) and by mineral gritty inclusions. It is made with the slow wheel; the fracture is reduced, but the inner surface is oxydised, and has a pale red color. Rims are outturned and rounded; decorations are limited to hatched incised triangles, impressed dots shaping triangles, and burnished net patterns. Three body sherds of this type were selected as samples for archeometric (thin section) analyses.
Painted Ware is represented by few sherds, which show the usual red-orange slip on the outer surface. No black-painted animals or other designs were discovered this year. Middle Bronze Kitchen Ware (Fig. 26f) has a dark brown colour on the outer surface, which is corrugated either horizontally or obliquely. The main decorations are nail impressions, rope decoration and bases with impressed decoration. Five body sherds were selected as samples for archaeometric analyses.
Fine Bedeni Ware (Fig. 26g) is black-polished, totally reduced and made with a slow wheel. Diagnostic sherds are represented by outturned, rounded rims, straight incisions and hatched triangles. Coarse Bedeni (Fig. 26h) ware is quite gritty, with black or white (possibly basalt and limestone) medium-sized inclusions. The surface is mostly greyish or brownish (5Y 4/1, dark grey, 5YR 5/4, reddish brown) and grey-slipped or corrugated with a comb. In one case, it was decorated with nail impressions. The most characteristic shape is the open pot with vertical rim and ribbon-shaped handles. Two body sherds were selected as samples for archaeometric analyses.
Kura-Araxes pottery (Fig. 26i) belongs to the second phase (KA 2) of the period, and shows the characteristic red-black burnished surface. The fabric contains medium-sized mineral inclusions and red-pink chamotte. Vessel shapes include jars with outturned, thickened rim, deep bowls, shallow bowls, trays, and a large number of lids. Eight body sherds were selected as samples for archaeometric analyses.
