This petro-fabric comprises Nile clay with calcareous inclusions that are in most cases assumed to having been intentionally added. Some of these fabrics can also have plant remains. Petrographic analyses to date have identified it in Predynastic and Early Dynastic pottery and in modern vessels. It has been noted in a few cases in other periods, but more study is needed to clarify its use during specific periods and for particular vessel types. See also the description for Egyptian Nile Clay petro-fabric. (see also ASW-Nile_02 in Peloschek 2015)
See Egyptian Nile Clay petro-fabric description.
This fabric is identified by common calcareous inclusions in a Nile clay. These can vary between more compact limestone (mainly micritic; rarely sparry), to softer chalk, impure clayey limestone, and sandy limestone. [Diversity of calcareous geological deposits in Egypt means the appearance of calcareous material in thin section can vary and relates to differences in the parent deposits.]
Size varies but often fine to medium-sized dispersed inclusions; but can range up to coarse-sized fragments, possibly indicative of intentional addition to the Nile clay. Inclusions are characteristically subangular to rounded.
Decomposed limestone can help in establishing the firing temperature, as it is typically fully decomposed at 850°C.
This petro-fabric comprises Nile clay with calcareous inclusions that are in most cases assumed to having been intentionally added. Some of these fabrics can also have plant remains. Petrographic analyses to date have identified it in Predynastic and Early Dynastic pottery and in modern vessels. It has been noted in a few cases in other periods, but more study is needed to clarify its use during specific periods and for particular vessel types. See also the description for
5th century - 8th century CE
Byzantine, Early Islamic - Umayyad/Abbasid/Tulunid
c.100 CE to c.700 CE
Late Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic - Umayyad/Abbasid/Tulunid
mid 4th-mid 8th century CE
Late Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic - Umayyad/Abbasid/Tulunid
Aswan, Elephantine (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
Aswan, Syene (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
Sayriq (Egypt/Eastern desert/Red Sea Coast)
This description was compiled during the LCP Egyptian Ceramic Petrography workshop at IFAO in September 2017.
