Assessing Hellenistic to nomadic cultural patterns through pottery in ancient Termez, Uzbekistan

We present the archaeological contextualization and the archaeometric characterization of slipped and nonslipped tableware and common wares from Termez in south Uzbekistan. The aims are, first, to evaluate the manufacture of pottery in the city and region (ancient Bactria) after the conquest of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century B.C. so as to detect Hellenistic Mediterranean influences, and, second, to investigate the evolution in pottery manufacturing following the arrival of the Yuezhi nomadic tribes in the mid‐2nd century B.C. X‐ray fluorescence, X‐ray diffraction, and thin‐section analyses were performed on vessels and on various local raw materials to examine the provenance and the technological processes involved in production (raw materials procurement and processing, shaping, and firing). Surface treatments were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometer. The study reveals that all the analyzed wares are local/regional wheel‐thrown products, suggesting a high degree of technological standardization in the procurement and processing of raw materials in the period considered. The main difference between the two pottery traditions concerns the shape of the vessels, pointing to new consumption patterns after the nomadic invasion.