Sydney Cyprus Survey Project (http://www.scsp.arts.gla.ac.uk/)

This object's fabric is of interest for future petrography. This
fabric was identified and named soft red orange (SRO) during the Sydney Cyprus
Survey Project's work at SIA 2, Klirou-Mazovounos (see Given and Knapp 2003:
78-81 and Given and Smith 2003). Soft red orange (SRO) fabric is generally for
plain, undecorated vessels, thus it seems to be a version of Cypriot Plain
Light (Iron Age) ware. It can be very friable and seems to be low-fired. Many
pieces look as if they would break easily and a bright orange color ends up on
your hands and everywhere when you work on this material. Study suggested that
vessels of SRO would not have been sturdy for everyday use, nor would they have
been suitable for serving food and drink that was actually consumed. The items
from SIA 2 of this fabric include a terracotta figurine from a chariot group,
thus the vessels and figures made of SRO may have been for symbolic purposes in
a cult place. Good photos of the fabric and thin sections are needed. Thus far
only drawings from the Sydney Cyprus Survey Project have been posted.