Aswan Ptolemaic-Roman Cooking Ware
Egypt/Upper Egypt
2nd century BCE - 3rd century CE
Hellenistic/Ptolemaic, Roman
General Information
This group includes all vessels that were used for the preparation or cooking of food. The identification is based on the shape of individual vessels but also on use patterns, such as traces of soot, that might indicate their use over an open fire. Only the rim has been preserved of the majority of the cooking wares in Syene and it generally doesn’t exhibit any soot traces. The types of shapes of the cooking ware includes both open shapes, such as lids, casseroles, cups/small bowls, frying pans, and plates, and closed shapes, such as pitchers and pots. This group began in the 2nd century BCE but did not gain in popularity until the late Ptolemaic or early imperial period.
The vessels are usually covered by a plain slip that in most cases does not differ from the color of the fabric.
