The petrofabric is characterized by a silty, calcareous, optically active matrix. The most dominant non-plastic inclusions are chalk fragment and micro-fossils (foraminifers). Also appearing in all examples is a distinguished component of clay pellets (probably of terra rossa soil) and ferruginous particles and limonitic stains, as well as fine-coarse sand limestone. Dolomite and basalt grains appear rarely. The firing temperatures seems relatively low (750 degrees or lower?) as crystallized calcite is preserved in most samples. In several samples, the clay pellets are surrounded by a void. This phenomenon is caused by the shrinking differences between the clay’s main body and the clay pellets (this indicates the clay pellets were plastic inclusions, and do not represent ‘grog’).

This petrofabric is probably similar to Group A defined in the previous petrographic study of Megiddo Iron Age pottery (Arie et al. 2006:560). The provenance seems to be at Tell Megiddo or its vicinity in the western Jezreel Valley. The characteristics of the fabric can fit well the ‘gley’ and grumusols of the alluvial and colluvial soils in the vicinity of the tell (see above); especially the richness in chalk and microfossils and the presence of ferruginous (limonitic) grains and specks. The clay pellets could be derived from the terra rossa soil drained from the ‘Ara valley region. Previous analysis clay tablets (Goren et al. 2004:243-247, Pl. X) and of Iron Age pottery (Buzaglo 2004:27-30) indicated that highly calcareous clay, similar to that of Groups 1 and 2 was used for the production of both. The fabrics described by Buzaglo (Buzaglo 2004:28-29, Group B2, e.g., Slide H3/96/38) and Goren et al. (2004:243-247) also indicate a distinctive element of ferruginous limonitic stains or features (this fabric is usually termed there ‘Maastrichtian chalky marl of the Ghareb formation’, Arie et al.
2006:558) as well as terra rossa clay pellets or balls.