Continuity and change in cereal grinding technology at Kültepe, Turkey

Abstract

Change in Mediterranean grinding technology during the Hellenistic/Roman period affected the pattern of dental microwear since external grit particles were finer when flour was prepared using large rotary querns. Therefore, it is possible to detect the technological change through the analysis of human dentition. Here, the sample of teeth from Kültepe (ancient Kanesh), Turkey, is investigated to determine if the grinding technology changed at this site between the Middle Bronze Age (n = 12) and Hellenistic/Roman period (n = 4). A Hellenistic/Roman sample from Assos (n = 7) is also included for comparative purposes. The proportions and size of linear and nonlinear features did not differ significantly between periods or sites, which indicates that in spite of technical advances, old grinding technologies were still used in the Hellenistic/Roman period in Anatolia.