Nile Silt Thin-Walled Ware
Egypt/Upper Egypt
1st century CE
Roman
General Information
This thin-walled ware, one of two from the Roman period, is characterized by the use of Nile clay as the fabric and was probably derived from Aswan-based manufacturies (Herbert and Berlin 2003, 30). Potters used this ware to manufacture a series of small, exceptionally thin-walled beakers and cups. At Coptos, vessels of this ware first appear in the 1st century CE in one of the earliest Roman ceramic assemblages.
This ware is characterized by its extremely thin walls. In contrast to the imported thin-walled ware (with a wall thickness of under 0.6 cm), the locally produced pieces are less finely made and have much thicker walls. They can still be identified as more thin-walled when compared to the other local wares. This ware only includes beakers and cups. In Syene/Aswan, the ware appears in assemblages from the early Roman period, however, individual pieces of thin-walled ware already show up in the Ptolemaic period.
This thin-walled ware was made from Nile clay, giving it a brown color. A few carry barbotine decoration, but most vessels are plain.
A few vessels are decorated with painting. In most cases the decoration consists of simple bands that were applied in a dark color to the rim or exterior of the wall.
