General InformationTwo groups of Hula Valley Persian coarse wares are known. Both are very gritty and moderately hard, with a porous surface texture and frequent, small rounded voids. They differ in the amount of quartz silt and straw, the firing temperature, and the color. Group 2 has less quartz, more straw, was fired at a lower temperature, and is pale pink in color.
Description
This is a ferruginous fabric with about 2% quartz silt, containing some chert and basaltic minerals of olivine and plagioclase, and only a few inclusions of grog and chalk (1–2 mm). Grog inclusions are vitrified, indicating previous firing. There are irregular, elongated voids indicating burned-out organic temper, and vitrified grog inclusions indicative of previous firing; the vessel itself was fired at around 700 ºC. The basaltic minerals and chert suggest the Hula Valley as a possible place of origin.

Mizpe Yammim (Israel/Galilee)