General Information

Base Ring Ware is one of the most distinctive and thereby important archaeological hallmarks of the Late Bronze Age in Cyprus. The technical ceramic standards achieved in this ware coupled with its wide.distribution provided a valuable opportunity to study the technological skills of the ancient Cypriot craftsmen as well as to assess the degree of sophistication of their knowledge, and ability to manipulate the local ceramic material resources. By means of standardized macroscopic studies of a large sherd sample of the ware, the range and patterns of production methods were established. These data were then subjected to statistical clustering procedures to discover any chronological, geographical or technical production patterns for the ware.

In addition, geochemical analyses were performed on a representative set of sherds to provide a basis for characterizing the ware's general geological composition and to determine whether any local variations in the fabric could be identified. For purposes of material comparisons, forty clay samples of various mineralogical types were collected from Cyprus from deposits near the Late Cypriot sites represented by the Base Ring sherds. These clays were also subjected to geochemical analysis and statisticalprocedures to determine whether any of them could provide useful compositional parallels to the materials of the archaeological samples. The sherds were then examined petrographically and by scanning electron microscopy, microprobe and X-ray diffraction analysis to provide complementary and corroborative data for the geochemical profiles. The Cypriot clay samples were used for manufacturing and firing experiments to compare with Base Ring production techniques and were subjected to the same analytical procedures as were the sherds. The combined analytical and technical data were then considered for both sherds and clays to determine the degree to which they contributed to a consistent and overall geological characterization of Base Ring materials and fabrics, and the degree to which
they provided important insights into the relative sophistication and regional nature of the Late Cypriot ceramic industry which produced this remarkable ware ( after Vaughan 1987: Abstract).

Base Ring was a specialized ware being
handmade at a time when many wares were beginning to be manufactured in
increasing percentages by wheel, and it possessed a remarkable degree of
superficial homogeneity, despite its wide distribution. Its distinctive, dark
grey, often "metallic-looking" appearance due to finish, forms, and
stylistic details made it easily recognizable by excavators. Their reports
often included some general fabric descriptions and occasional theories concerning the manufacture and assembly of particular vessel shapes. The technical level of
ceramic achievement for a vast percentage of Base Ring Ware was unusually high,
with well-fired vessel walls often no thicker than 1.5-2.5mm in complex forms
with a subtle reflective luster to the remarkably smooth, reduced surfaces. 

However the value of the accumulated collection of observations by
investigators on the ware's constituents and manufacturing technology was
frequently limited by the degree and range of subjectivity in the various
descriptions, resulting in inconsistent sets of data and a lack of scientific
precision which characterized technical and geological discussions of the
ware's fabrics. 

The archaeological significance of Base Ring Ware
cannot be overstated and is multi-faceted. Most frequently cited has been its
role as a dating tool for excavators. The precision of the ware in this function , however, was directly proportional to the precision with which it's various
fabrics and developmental stages had been documented, both chronologically and
regionally. Technical achievements of the ware is
represented by the specialized use of specific raw materials and the degree to which
they show sophisticated levels of technical ceramic production skills of a
remarkably uniform ceramic tradition, produced in several regional centers of
production (after Vaughan 1987: 2-3)

Base ring, base ring