The oldest known traces of bitumen in the world can be seen in this piece. The bitumen was used as a glue to hold the blade in a groove made in a handle. Bitumen is a heavy, sticky form of petroleum found in various spots in the Near East where there are oil deposits. Oil may even flow with water out of certain springs, and the film that forms on the surface of the water can be collected.
Provenance: Umm at-Tlel.
Age: Upper Paleolithic (40000 BC).
Material: flint.
Dimensions: 8.6 x 4.8 x 1.6 cm.
Photo: Jacques Lessard.
Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.
Eric Boëda, Stéphanie Bonilauri, Jacques Connan, Dan Jarvie, Norbert Mercier, Mark Tobey, Hélène Valladas, Heba al Sakhel, & Sultan Muhesen. Middle Palaeolithic bitumen use at Umm el Tlel.
No comments:
Post a Comment