Going to the source: new perspectives in the study of the Canaanean blade technology from Iraqi Kurdistan
This paper presents a preliminary overview of the outstanding evidence of chert mining and specialised lithic workshops found on the southern slopes of the Jebel Zawa, in the Dohuk Governorate, northern Iraqi Kurdistan. Technical features observed on lithic materials - such as cores and waste products – led to the identification of this mining complex as the source of raw materials used to produce the large standardised blades known in the literature as ‘Canaanean’. According to northern Mesopotamian archaeological records, these blades were widespread from the late 5th to 3rd millennia BCE.
However, little is known about the raw material provenance and no analysis has been attempted in order to identify the supply areas. Our research constitutes a unique opportunity to fill this gap, providing fresh data and a new regional perspective for investigating the phenomenon of large blades production and consumption in northern Mesopotamia, from the source to the settlements.