ZANAAT ARKEOLOJİSİ İZİNDE NEBİYAN TOPRAĞI: MALZEME ARAŞTIRMASINDAN SANATSAL ÜRETİME

Abstract

Local clay resources provide an opportunity to investigate the relationship between the technical properties of materials and their formal and artistic possibilities in ceramic art. The processes of preparing, shaping, and firing soil obtained from its natural environment are important not only for understanding the material's behavior during production but also for evaluating its potential for artistic expression. In this context, the aim of this research is to examine the possibilities of using clay-bearing soil obtained from the Nebiyan region of Samsun in ceramic production and to evaluate the relationship between the properties of the material and the artistic forming process. The research employed literature review, field observations, photographic documentation, and practice-based material research methods. Within the framework of craft archaeology, early ceramic production practices, archaeological ceramic examples from the Samsun region, and the practices of contemporary artists working with natural clays were examined. During surface surveys conducted in accordance with local oral accounts, encountered fired clay fragments were documented, and samples were collected from clay-bearing soil deposits in the region. The collected material underwent various preparation processes and was transformed into vessel and figurative forms using wheel throwing, coil building, and hand-forming techniques. The produced forms were subjected to pit firing and electric kiln firing at 950 °C and were evaluated through observation in terms of surface characteristics, cracking, breakage, and structural integrity. The results of the practical applications demonstrated that the prepared Nebiyan soil could be used to produce ceramic forms through different forming techniques. While breakage, deformation, and variations in surface color were observed during pit firing, most of the forms fired in the electric kiln maintained their structural integrity. Since mineralogical analyses and standardized physical tests were not conducted, the findings are limited to the examined samples and the conditions of the practical applications. The research concludes that the production process, from the preparation of local soil to firing, contributes to the evaluation of the relationship between material properties, formal choices, and artistic expression.