Late Roman D-E/Cypriot Red slip (LRD-E/CRSW)
Turkey/Southwest
4th - 7th centuries CE
Late Roman
General Information
This ware entry, as is demonstrated by its name, encompasses three previously identified wares that have been proven, through research and scientific analyses, to be related. They are Late Roman D (LRD), Late Roman E (LRE) and Cypriot Red Slip Ware (CRS). Late Roman D was first identified by Waagé in Antioch in 1948, and in 1972, Hayes tentatively identified it as a product of Cypriot manufacture and suggested it be renamed Cypriot Red Slip Ware (CRSW). No production sites have been identified on Cyprus, and the large quantities of LRD have been discovered in southern and southwestern Asia Minor, which led Poblome et al. (2001) to conduct chemical analyses on material from Hierapolis, Perge and Sagalassos. In doing so, they concluded that production centers must have existed in Asia Minor and suggested using LRD to name the entire group. The discovery of production sites in southern Asia Minor, specifically the terriroty of Pednelissos, by the Pisidia Survey Project strengthens this idea. It is yet to be determined, however, if the LRD/LRE/CRS material found on Cyprus was manufactured in currently undiscovered Cypriot production centers or in production centers in Asia Minor, but due to the ubiquity of this fine ware, it is highly possible that production centers existed in both places.
This red slipped fine ware was used from at least the end of the fourth century to the seventh century CE, possibly extending into the eighth or early ninth centuries (Armstrong 2009). According to Hayes (1972), LRD/LRE/CRS was used most commonly for only a few shapes: medium-sized dishes, which were most common, small bowls, and large basins. These vessels are usually decorated with rouletting, which may have originated as an imitation of African Red Slip (Hayes 1972, 372). Rims are often grooved, and stamped decoration, if present, was applied to the floor of the vessel. One additional feature, which Hayes (1972) notes is unique to this ware, is the presence of “a single short incised wavy line.”
Fabric varies in colour, hardness and porosity, but compared to other fine wares it can normally be easily discerened from all other ceramics save earlier “Cypriot Sigillata” and sometimes Pontic Sigillata/Red Slip. Generally, the ware is fired red, hard with some oblong pores. The characteristic features are slight metallic sheen (though many pieces are mat) and clear traces of burnishing. Two versions are assigned, fine, with few other inclusions than lime and sandy, low fired with buff section. Touma suggests that the sandy variant may have been produced at Amathus. As there is a number of imitation wares, Meyza 2007 suggested that the name of “CRSW” should be used only for the fine variety.
Paphos/Nea Paphos (Cyprus/Western South Coast)
Horbat Zefat 'Adi (Israel/Northern Coastal Plain)
Ḥorvat Tefen, Qalat Tufaniyeh (Israel/Galilee)
Rujm al-ʿῙs, Rujm el-'Is (Syria/Hauran)
Akçapınar Köyü (Turkey/Southwest)
Antiocheia ad Cragum (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Gebiz (Turkey/Southwest)
Hacıosmanlar Köyü (Turkey/Southwest)
Kadirgürü Mevkiisi (Turkey/Southwest)
Kenetepe (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Kestros (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Kislabucagi Mahalle (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Kömbeci Mevkii (Turkey/Southwest)
Muzkent (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Nephelion (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Selinus (Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean)
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
Turkey/Southwest
