بررسی ارتباطِ «سفال با آمیزۀ خرده سنگ» با ارتقای روند پخت غذا؛ از دورۀ مس و سنگ تا دورۀ اسلامی

پخت‌وپز و آماده‌سازی غذا یکی از مسائل مهم در زندگی روزمرۀ انسان است و از دورۀ نوسنگی که ظروف سفالی ابداع شد، تحول بنیادی در شیوۀ معیشت انسان نیز ایجاد گردید. از این زمان به بعد بود که الگوی غذایی انسان دگرگون شد و امکان پختن و آب‌پز کردن گوشت که پیشتر تنها می‌شد به‌شکل کباب شده مورد استفاده قرار گیرد، تغییرات جدی به خود دید. به استناد مطالعات فنی و تکنولوژیکی سفال، به‌نظر می‌رسد که تا پیش از دورۀ مس‌وسنگ جدید، اغلبِ ظروفِ سفالی با کاربردهای گوناگون و فرم‌های متنوع، آمیزۀ همگن و در مواردی کم تنوعی داشتند، اما از این زمان به‌بعد بود که مردمان روزگار باستان با انتخاب و استفاده از آمیزۀ خرده‌سنگ ظروف مخصوص پخت‌وپز خود را ساخته و به‌طور ویژه برای آشپزی از آن‌ها استفاده نموده‌اند. درواقع به‌نظر می‌رسد پس از چند هزاره، سفالگران و آشپزان در گسترۀ وسیعی از ایران پی‌برده بودند که ظروف با اشکال خاص و آمیزه‌ای ویژه‌ چون خرده‌سنگ می‌تواند در پخت‌وپز کاراتر باشند و روند حرارت‌رسانی به ظروف و آماده‌سازی غذا را ارتقا بخشند. از همین‌روست که از حدود 3500 پ.م. رفته‌رفته در میان بقایای باستان‌شناختی دستۀ خاصی از سفال‌ها ظاهر می‌شود که علاوه‌بر فرم و آمیزۀ ویژۀ آن‌ها، به‌دلیل سطح دودزده به روشنی برای امور پخت‌وپز مورد استفاده قرار گرفته‌اند و باستان‌شناسان آن‌ها را ظروف «آشپزخانه‌ای» می‌خوانند. در این تحقیق با بررسی صدها نمونه سفال آشپزخانه‌ای از دورۀ مس‌وسنگ جدید تا دورۀ اسلامی از محوطه‌های مختلف ایران این پرسش مورد بررسی قرار گرفته که آیا ارتباطی میان فرم، آمیزه و کاربرد ظروف مخصوص پخت‌وپز وجود داشته و این‌که چرا آمیزۀ خرده‌سنگ تنها در ظروف سفالی آشپزخانه‌ای به‌کار رفته است؟ بررسی‌های حاکی از این است که با توجه به این‌که ظروف با کف مدور و فاقد پایه، حرارت را بهتر از سایر ظروف در سطح سفال پخش می‌کنند و خرده‌سنگ‌ها بهتر از هر مادۀ افزودۀ دیگری می‌تواند در جذب و باز پس‌دادن حرارت موثر باشند، این نوع فرم و آمیزه برای ظروف پخت‌وپز انتخاب شده و به شکل فراگیری مورد استفاده قرار گرفته است. براساس شواهد موجود، سفالگران به خاصیت این نوع آمیزه در تسهیل و بهبود عمل‌آوری و آماده‌سازی غذا پی‌برده و برای حدود شش‌هزار سال آن‌را در گونۀ خاصی از ظروف که از قضا کاربرد اولیۀ آن‌ها تنها به‌عنوان ظروف پخت‌وپز بوده، مورد استفاده قرار داده‌اند. با توجه به این‌که این نوع آمیزه در انواع دیگری از ظروف چون کاسه، کوزه، بشقاب، لیوان و... که با پخت‌وپز در ارتباط مستقیم نیستند مورد استفاده قرار نگرفته، می‌توان پی‌بُرد که این موضوع آگاهانه و از روی تجربه و شناخت طولانی‌مدت حاصل شده است. نمونه‌های کشف شدۀ ساج‌های گِلی دوران پیش‌ازتاریخ که با لایه‌های متناوب شن، سنگ‌ریزه و گِل رس ساخته شده‌اند، چنین تفسیری را تایید می‌کند.

Investigation the Role of Gird Inclusion in Pottery to Improve the Process of Food Preparing; from Chalcolithic to Islamic Period

Technical studies of pottery show that before the Late Chalcolithic period, potter used homogeneous and limited inclusion. But with the beginning of the late Chalcolithic period, potter used grit inclusion in making cocking pot intentionally. Producing cooking pot during a long time in a vast region of Iran, give this experience to them that using grit as inclusion can play a catalyzed role during the cooking process and improvement it. So from the Late Chalcolithic period, some typical smoke face ware called “Cooking Pot” appeared. In this study, based on investigation many cooking pots from Late Chalcolithic to Islamic periods from different parts of Iran, we would try to answer this question that is there any relation between, shape, inclusion, and function of cooking pot? Also, we would like to know for which reason the gird inclusion was used just in the cooking pot. Our investigation showing that round based ware disperses the heat better than others. Also, grit inclusion can play the absorbed and recession process influentially. This form and inclusion were used for cooking pot afterward and became a common technique gradually. Archaeological evidence demonstrated that potter knows about the advantages of girt inclusion during food preparing and used it intentionally during around 6 millenniums. Regarding using other inclusion in ware such as bowls, jars, and cup … that has not any relation with cooking, it becomes clear that gird inclusion used intentionally. This typical ware was made for a specific function, distinguished without laboratory analyses in archaeological contexts. It should be noted; we don’t mean that no other pots used for cooking. But it can be assured; the pot with girt inclusion is used only for food preparation. What reinforced this hypothesis is discovering many prehistoric hearth (Saaj) produced with repeated gravel layers and covered by clay plaster. The gravel used for absorbed heat slowly and uniformly, not as a temper to prevents cracking of hearth (Saaj)..Keywords: Cooking, Cooking Pot, Gird Inclusion, Food, Clay Hearth (Saaj).IntroductionThe early produced ceramics was mainly plain and has simple form, but new ceramic forms were appeared afterwards. At first it seems that ceramics was produced for 2 main requirements; first for shortage and secondly for food preparation. Seemingly for a long time there was not any technical differences between kitchen ware and those used for routine requirements. Archaeological evidences showing that this process was changed in late chalcolithic period while ceramic produced by different techniques. It demonstrated that ancient people became familiar with row material used in ceramic production. From late chalcolithic period onwards, the feature like inclusion had a sharp influence on pottery production to cooking foods.The present article is trying to evaluate a few ceramic assemblages based on descriptiveanalytical methods. Regarding the key role of features like inclusion, fabric, technique, heat and etc. in final shape and forms of ceramic, the feature of inclusion among them has an important role and investigated in detail. At the end of this research, we would try to answer the main questions of research: 1is there any relations between the form, inclusion and functions of kitchen wares used for cooking?  And 2 whey girt tempered was used just in kitchen wares? In this article based on analysis of a few ceramics assemblages, we would try to show that there is sharp relation between what have used as inclusion in ceramic and the functions of them. In other words, by analyzing and evaluation of some ceramic types and assemblages and investigation their technical characterizes, would try to show that Iranian potter from 5500 years ago until yet understood that to do some special issues like food preparation and cooking they should produce particular from of wares using special inclusions.    The used archaeological evidences in this article unearthed from scientific archaeological excavation of some sites located in West, NW, North, Center, South, South East and NorthEast of Iran. the number of shred used in this research are 500 one that regarding their potential for drawings and restoration, we choose them from the larger assemblage. Girt Temper PotteryFrom many archaeological sites of Iran and especially those dating from late chalcolithic period to Islamic time, Girt temper pottery was reported.  The fabric of this pottery is brown and in cases are grey and over fired. The size of this Girt temper pottery ranges from middle to large size and the capacity of them are 5 to 10 liters. Their thickness is between 1 to 1/5cm and have both hand and wheel made ones. Regarding using dense girt as an inclusion, these ceramic are coarse and heavy. All types of girt temper ceramic have common characterizes like: coarse fabric, middle to large size, rounded base, mineral temper comprising girt, plain and smoke faced. All of this characterizes is related to their function.Kitchen ware with girt temper in addition to their potential to overcome the heat shocks, they could have absorbed the warmth and stored it for a long time. Against clay inclusion ore dense sandstone one, using girt and combing it with chaff as inclusion can absorb more warm and convey it to the ware and its containers. This method is an innovative strategy and used to cook those so called mellow foods that needed more continues heat. Using sandstone in production of Sajj in prehistory is an interesting indicator of importance of girt to absorb the heat. Generally speaking, it seems that using a layer of sandstone ore girt covered by clay coating in production of prehistoric Sajj exactly has the same function as using girt as an inclusion in cooking Potts. They can absorb the heat continuously and return it gradually. ConclusionThe present evidences showing that Iranian potter and cooker from late Chalcolithic period onwards understood about the key role of girt as inclusion to produced cooking pottes. from 5500 years ago to now, they used this girt tempered ceramic to develop and improve the cooking strategies. Apparently if there is not any specific relation between the form of wares, their archaeological context and their functions, we should see this inclusion in all ceramic types like bowl, jar, baker, and… But in reality this kind of inclusion just identified in cooking wares that discovered in context like kitchens. Obviously girt inclusion was used just in those cooking potts that used for cooking and are in sharp contact with fire. Our proposed hypothesis is reinforced by discovering some prehistoric Sajj characterized by continual coating layers of girt and clay not to improvement their resistant, but to absorbed heat slowly and uniformly.