The ferruginous-argillaceous matrix contains some poorly sorted silty quartz and sporadic ore component varying from minute (0.02 mm) rounded opaque particles to even sand size grains (ferruginous ooliths and/or their fragments). The main tempering material is poorly sorted quartz, with rounded to angular grains that range in size between 0.1 and 0.5 mm, comprising about 12% of the volume
of the sherd and seems to be of the same origin as the quartz present in the matrix. Some of the coarser quartz grains have iron oxide coatings. There are also some chert and decomposed carbonate grains and sporadic epidote (not in all the examined samples). The lithology of the examined pottery suggests a geological formations containing ferruginous shale and quartz sand- and silt-stones, which matches the outcrops of Lower Cretaceous formations.
The archaeological excavations of the medieval pottery manufacture of Beirut (Arnaud, Llopis and Bonifay 1996; El-Masri 1998; François et
al. 2003), and further petrographic and chemical investigations (Waksman et al. 2008; Shapiro 2012) suggest the definition of the new petro-fabric for the Lower Cretaceous formations of the southern Lebanon range.

Beirut

'Akko/Acre (Israel/Northern Coastal Plain)

Khirbet Din'ila (Israel/Galilee)