Cyprus/Chrysochou Valley/Calcareous Clay with Red Ochre
Cyprus/Chrysochou Valley
Calcareous clay with red ochre, once thought instead to be red jasper
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During excavations at Polis Chrysochous, specifically at the Iron Age sanctuary site of Polis-Peristeries, I noticed that many sherds have large red (hard) chunks as inclusions. These large red inclusions occur in several different wares (Plain Light, Heavy Coarse, White Painted, and Bichrome are the main ones). To the naked eye these resembled chunks of red jasper. Similar inclusions were noted in sherds from many time periods, not just the Iron Age material, found in the Polis Pyrgos Archaeological Survey Project (PAP) (see e.g., Smith 2014). These inclusions were examined by Costas Xenophontos through three examples presented to him in photographs by the director of the PAP (Xenophontos 2014). He thinks that the inclusions are not jasper, but are red ochre in a calcareous clay body. Further more scientific study is needed to determine the precise make-up of this fabric. It is interesting that it is characteristic of the Chrysochou Valley on Cyprus through time.
Calcareous clay body with large chunks of red ochre.
During excavations at Polis Chrysochous, specifically at the Iron Age sanctuary site of Polis-Peristeries, I noticed that many sherds have large red (hard) chunks as inclusions. These large red inclusions occur in several different wares (Plain Light, Heavy Coarse, White Painted, and Bichrome are the main ones). To the naked eye these resembled chunks of red jasper. Similar inclusions were noted in sherds from many time periods, not just the Iron Age material, found in the Polis Pyrgos Archaeological Survey Project (PAP) (see e.g., Smith 2014). These inclusions were examined by Costas Xenophontos through three examples presented to him in photographs by the director of the PAP (Xenophontos 2014). He thinks that the inclusions are not jasper, but are red ochre in a calcareous clay body. Further more scientific study is needed to determine the precise make-up of this fabric. It is interesting that it is characteristic of the Chrysochou Valley on Cyprus through time.
Princeton Cyprus Expedition
Polis-Pyrgos Archaeological Survey Project