Aswan Ptolemaic-Roman Common ware
Egypt/Upper Egypt
2nd century BCE - 3rd century CE
Hellenistic/Ptolemaic, Roman
General Information
Aswan Ptolemaic-Roman Common Ware is an exceptionally well-levigated ware native to Upper Egypt. Potters used this ware to produce a series of small bowls, saucers, and jugs. It is common at sites in Upper Egypt, especially those near the first cataract at Aswan, and can be found as far south as Qasr Ibrim in Nubia. At Coptos, this ware first appears in the early 3rd century BCE, in the second Hellenistic ceramic assemblage; however, a fragment of one vessel was found in the earliest Hellenistic assemblage, dating to the late 4th century BCE (Herbert and Berlin 2003, 28). The early Hellenistic appearance of this ware at Coptos provides stratigraphic documentation of the beginnings of Aswan’s long-lived classical pottery manufacturies. This specific ware disappears from the Coptos Roman strata. At Syene vessels of this ware increase in the early imperial period.
Aswan Ptolemaic-Roman Common ware has been defined elsewhere. Rodziewicz identifies an “early Aswan pink clay pottery” in Elephantine, isolating it in the latest Ptolemaic strata (Rodziewicz 1992, 106-7). At Qasr Ibrim, Adams identifies it as “Aswan pink table ware” and has dated it to later Ptolemaic times (Adams n.d., 44-48).This ware also includes vessels that were primarily used as storage vessels. The shape repertoire includes open shapes, such as lids, pails, cups, bowls, and plates, as well as closed shapes, such as amphoriskoi, beakers, bottles, pitchers, pots, and unguentaria.
Aswan Ptolemaic-Roman Common Ware is made of somewhat soft, pale pink-white fabric, with only a few fine and small rounded bright red inclusions and lime flecks. Surfaces fire to a pale creamy white, while t...
Abu Midrik (Egypt/Eastern desert/Red Sea Coast)
Abu Rahal, Abu Rahal Hill (Egypt/Eastern desert/Red Sea Coast)
Aswan, Elephantine (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
Aswan, Syene (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
B'ir Samut (Egypt/Eastern desert/Red Sea Coast)
Coptos (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
Samut Gold Mining Settlement (Egypt/Eastern desert/Red Sea Coast)
‘Abbad, Abu Gehâd (Egypt/Eastern desert/Red Sea Coast)
