General Information

Transjordan Highland Plain Ware appears in a full range of functional categories (table, kitchen, cooking, and storage). The ware is made from Transjordan Highland Terra Rossa. Vessels in Transjordan Highland Plain Ware have surfaces that are untreated or that may have a slight self-slip from potters’ efforts to smooth surfaces with wet hands or a wet cloth. Even the examples where no self-slip is present, the surfaces bear evidence of smoothing, but without the production of a thin layer of slip drawn out from the clay body.

The ware appears in all functional categories with little variation in the overall appearance of the vessel surfaces. Exceptions include cook pot bodies, which have ribbed exteriors, unlike vessels in other categories, which tend to be smooth-bodied. Surface color varies, often with significant mottling and some fire clouding on a single vessel. The median color is reddish brown (generally 2.5YR 5/3) with examples heading to light red (2.5YR 6/6) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3). Reduction firing occurs occasionally, resulting in fully fired light gray examples occur occasionally in all functional categories, except table vessels of bowls and dishes. With the exception of the reduction fired gray examples, fresh breaks produce section colors that fit within the range of Transjordan Highland Terra Rossa (generally pinkish (5YR 7/4) to red (2.5YR 5/6) and lighter pink (7.5YR 7/4)).

'Iraq al-Amir (Jordan/Central Highlands)

Amman, Citadel (Jordan/Central Highlands)

Tall Jawa (Jordan/Central Highlands)

Umm al-Walīd (Jordan/Central Highlands)