Bet Yerah, Aparan III and Karnut I: Preliminary observations on Kura-Araxes homeland and diaspora ceramic technologies

First results of the comparative technology of Kura-Araxes pottery and its derivatives are presented, including analyses of Khirbet Kerak Ware and local traditions from Tel Bet Yerah (Khirbet Kerak) and material from two sites in Armenia: the fourth millennium site of Aparan III and the third millennium site of Karnut I. Petrographic and chaîne opératoire analysis suggests that all three industries are entirely local and share a series of characteristics that set them apart from non-Kura-Araxes industries: technological conservatism, priority of surface treatment, non-correlation of form to fabric, variability of fabric, and separation from cooking ware. These results support the contention that the spread of the tradition should be associated with migration and diaspora communities.