Marble Beaker with Two Lugs

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A pivotal site for examining the emergence of exchange networks centered on artisanal goods lies in Kulaksizlar, Turkey. Notably, this location is crucial because it contains evidence of marble vessel production. Marble raw materials used to craft these vessels, along with other stones like grabbo, basalt, and sandstone, were readily available within walking distance from the site. Pointed beakers were the most prevalent artifacts discovered. These conical-shaped beakers feature two vertical lugs with piercings near the rim, demonstrating a high level of craftsmanship. The manufacturing process required significant labor input and skill, involving coarse flaking, pecking, drilling, and polishing stages. Numerous production steps made the stone susceptible to breaking, particularly due to structural weaknesses in the marble used, resulting in a substantial number of rejects found at the site. What makes these beakers remarkable is that they possess features challenging to produce in stone, including perforated vertical lugs and protruding heads set on a narrow fragile neck. The presence of these characteristics likely increased the perceived value of craft products made with skilled labor, as pointed beakers without lugs would have represented a substantial labor investment and less skill.