Shephelah EBA Calcite-tempered ware
Israel/Shephelah, Israel-Palestinian Authority/Southern Coastal Plain
3400 BCE - 2200 BCE
Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age I, Early Bronze Age III
General Information
This is a broad ware family represented by many local productions that all share the deliberate addition of calcite temper because the vessels were intended to be used for cooking. At each site, the base matrix reflects local geological conditions. The primary shape found in this ware are large holemouth jars. At the Tel Halif Terrace, Site 101, vessels of this ware are found in late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze I levels. At Tel Safi/Gath and Tel Nagila, this ware is attested in EB III levels. Many of the vessels from the latter sites have incisions near the rim.
At the Tel Halif Terrace, Site 101, the matrix is a local calcareous loess clay tempered with wadi sand and crushed limestone.
Tel Halif/Lahav, Halif Terrace, Site 101 (Israel/Shephelah)
Tel Nagila (Israel-Palestinian Authority/Southern Coastal Plain)
Tell es-Safi/Gath (Israel-Palestinian Authority/Southern Coastal Plain)
