Very ferruginous-argillaceous matrix containing 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. Firing temperature estimated at 800–850ºC. The temper and matrix composition of the samples described above suggests a geological formation of layers containing shale and sandstone (and possibly siltstone). This matches the outcrops of Lower Cretaceous formations at the Mount Hermon foothills and the southern Lebanon range. This raw material mentioned by N. Porat as a source for what was termed the “Beirut-type” pottery in the petrographic study of pottery from Acre (Waksman et al. 2008)