Archaeologists from the University of Tübingen and LMU Munich have unearthed the remnants of an ancient pottery workshop in an early Iron Age Dinka settlement on the Peshdar Plain, located in Iraq’s Kurdish Autonomous Region. This groundbreaking discovery enhances our understanding of craft specializations, technical traditions, and urban life, revealing a surprising level of socio-economic complexity in the region during that era.

The Dinka settlement complex, encompassing Girdi Bazaar, Karati Dinka, and neighboring areas, was excavated as part of the Peshdar Plain project launched by LMU Munich archaeologists in 2015.

This initiative concentrated on the Iron Age of the Lower Zab headwaters, a historically underexplored region in the western Zagros.

Excavations have revealed previously unknown Iron Age ruins, featuring a diverse pottery assemblage and a pottery production workshop in the bustling Jirdi Bazaar.

The workshop included two updraft kilns and manufacturing tools dating back to approximately 1200 to 800 BC.

Dr. Silvia Amicone, an archaeologist at the University of Tübingen, remarked: “The workshop was so well-preserved that we could utilize various techniques to gain a comprehensive understanding of how potters operated in this region during the Iron Age.”

Archaeologists examined materials including raw clay, finished pottery, kiln lining, contents, and fuel remnants from the firing process.

Through mineralogical and microstructural analysis of clay and pottery samples, researchers identified the raw materials and manufacturing methods employed in pottery creation.

Findings indicate that while vessels from this settlement exhibited minor variations in shape and finish—possibly reflective of their specific functions—these differences were integrated into a modular and well-organized production framework, likely catering to both the Dinka settlement and the surrounding area, with the Gil-i-Bazaar workshop playing a pivotal role.

This conclusion is corroborated by extensive evidence of pottery production across the settlement complex, including potential kilns identified through geophysical analyses.

The results suggest that pottery production was fundamental to the city’s configuration, with Gird-i Bazar being part of a network of workshops adhering to standardized production procedures.

“Our findings suggest that pottery was mainly fired at relatively low temperatures (below 900 degrees Celsius) under oxidizing conditions, utilizing simple updraft kilns with gradual heating rates and brief firing times,” the researchers stated.

“The variations in microstructural and mineralogical characteristics can be explained by different firing events conducted within a shared technological framework.”

“All types of vessels appear to have been ignited similarly, showcasing a consistent tradition of pyrotechnics.”

“Investigating pottery production in Dinka settlements provides a unique insight into the organization and innovative capabilities of early urban societies,” explained Professor Karla Pohlmann (Doshisha), Rector of the University of Tübingen.

“These discoveries illuminate how technological knowledge and community structures laid the groundwork for cultural evolution over 2,500 years ago.”

“Such research serves as a reminder that progress has always been a collective endeavor.”

For further insights, refer to this study. The survey’s results will be published on December 23rd in an archeology journal.

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Silvia Amicone et al. “Assembling the pieces of the puzzle: Integrating pottery and kiln analysis to reconstruct firework technology in Dinka settlements (Iraqi Kurdistan).” archeology journal, published online on December 23, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106425