Late Cypriot 'Splash Painted' ware
Cyprus/Western South Coast
1400-1100 BCE
Late Cypriot
General Information
Splash-painted ware is a regional production known only from the urban nucleus of Kouklia-Palaeopaphos, on Cyprus, which in the Late Bronze Age had developed into a internationally connected sanctuary site. LC Splash-Painted Ware has been found at practically every locality excavated with the Paphian urban nucleus, and in large numbers. Everywhere it appears, it accounts for about 12% of vessels. It seems to have been produced in the LC IIC-IIIA periods, although it is difficult to give a precise date because it is so regional and there are few in-situ finds.
A single shape is known: medium and large-sized jugs with a flaring rim, a single vertical handle, biconical (inverted piriform) body, and (usually) flat bases. Often the bases have a grainy resting surface. The shape is similar to contemporary jugs in Plain ware. The ware receives its name from its surface treatment: vessels are always covered in an abstract painted pattern featuring splashes of paint, made with sloppy, thick lines, unevenly applied. The uneven application means that there is a lot of variability in color.
Macroscopic fabric analysis shows a gritty, light colored grey colored clay, fired thoroughly, with frequent, poorly sorted array of inclusions, including micritic limestone and mudstone. The majority of vessels were handmade, but a few were wheel-thrown. Some have such pronounced wheel marks that it seems they were fashioned with a slow wheel/tournette.
p-XRF analyses were conducted of 30 samples plus about nine samples of wheel-made black-slip and red-slip vessels. The 30 splash-painted samples come from various sites within the urban nucleus. Half of the selected sampl...
Palaepaphos (Cyprus/Western South Coast)
