The first mass production pottery: Chalcolithic coba bowls in Yumuktepe

Yumuktepe, located at the northwestern margins of the Ubaid cultural sphere, presents significant data on the fifth-millennium dynamics of Cilicia through its stratified building layers dating to 4900-4200 BCE, and has been systematically excavated as an important archaeological center. Level XVI is characterized by a large structure associated with activities related to smelted copper production, whereas Level XV is defined by an extensive architectural complex used for distributive activities or communal events. The cultural sequence of Yumuktepe demonstrates profound transformations not only in the functions of monumental structures but also in new political and cultural strategies affecting production and social organization; these changes are particularly manifested in the widespread appearance of mass-produced "coba" bowls. In the thesis titled "The First Mass-Production Pottery: Chalcolithic Coba Bowls in Yumuktepe" examines the function of "coba" bowls uncovered in the XV. stratum of Yumuktepe, which are identified in the literature as the first massproduced ceramics. Within the scope of the study, the distribution of these bowls across different geographic regions and their occurrence in similar settlements are evaluated, and the similarities and differences encountered in terms of typological and functional characteristics are presented. This study aims to evaluate the functions of coba bowls and the archaeological contexts in which they are found from a regional perspective, and to identify the roles of these vessels in social, economic, and everyday practices. Accordingly, coba bowls are analysed not only as objects of individual daily use, but also in terms of the central role they played in community-level social practices, such as the organisation of labour, food distribution, and collective consumption activities. The analyses were conducted on the basis of the bowls' technical characteristics, ware groups, typological features, and quantitative data. The study's particular focus on coba bowls recovered from the room/storage context identified as A302 allows for more detailed and comparable evaluations of production techniques, form variability, and intended uses. This approach systematically demonstrates the production and use characteristics of coba-type bowls, which are quantitatively dominant within their Late Chalcolithic context, through a limited and well-defined assemblage, and thus makes a meaningful contribution to previous studies.