General Information

This is a ware family comprising vessels likely produced at various sites along the southeastern coast of Cyprus in the Hellenistic period. Vessels of this ware are very common at Kition-Bamboula, as well as at sites on the northern and central Levantine coast, from Tell Arqa and Beirut to Tyre and Tel Dor. 

At Levantine sites, the matrix color ranges from orange to red according the firing temperature. The slip firmly adheres to the clay and is orange to reddish-brown in colorThe fabric is hard and fine with rare to few fine to coarse red, brown, black, and white inclusions. Some grey, black, and red grits and white or yellowish lime grits may occur in the section matrix. Voids are few fine to medium rounded and thin, rather angular and elongated shape. The colour of the fresh break may be reddish yellow (5YR 6/6), yellowish red (5YR 5/6), light reddish brown (5YR 6/4), pink (5YR 7/4; 7.5YR 7/4), light brown (7.5YR 6/4), brown (7.5YR 5/4) or very pale brown (10YR 7/4). In some vessels distinct color zones, with diffuse to sharp boundaries, are present across the fired cores. The feel of surface and the texture of the fresh break are smooth. The slip is matt, semi-lustrous or lustrous, sometimes unevenly applied by dipping or painting. The colour of slip is various from red (2.5YR 4/6, 4/8) or reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) or dark red (2.5YR 3/6) or brown/dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) to very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) or very dark gray (7.5YR 3/0). The slip is thin and matte. Often lime spots are visible on the surface.

Visually, this ware is similar to Cypriot Hellenistic Brown Ware. These might represent productions from two different sites and/or productions that differ according to particular aspects of manufacture, for example firing temperatures. It can be that the matrix of vessels fired at lower temperatures is orange in color, and with lime inclusions while those fired at higher temperatures have a brown matrix and fewer lime inclusions.

Idalion (Cyprus/Eastern Mesoria)

'Akko, Harbor (Israel/Northern Coastal Plain)

Horbat Zefat 'Adi (Israel/Northern Coastal Plain)

Tel Dor (Israel/Carmel coastal plain)

Beirut (Lebanon/Northern Coast)