General Information

Cream ware represents a widespread family, best defined at Arad. Vessels were produced from Eocene chalk deposits, which occur in various locales in southern Israel. Local variants are known, suggesting a common approach with local particulars. The late Chalcolithic/EB I settlement on the Halif Terrace was situated on such Eocene chalk deposits. These are a non-silty calcareous clay, with quartz and foraminifera components. The Halif vessels differ from the Cream Ware vessels identified by Gilead and Goren at Arad (1989) in that the vessels from Halif have a fabric that is less dense, and lighter in both weight and color (Porat 1988).

The Halif vessels are light pink, white or creamy in paste color. There is a small amount of small, rounded limestone, and chalk grit inclusions. Almost all of the Cream Ware vessels at the Halif Terrace are small open forms: hemispherical bowls, V-shaped bowls, square-rim bowls, and cups, with V-shaped bowls being the most common form.

Dessel (2009, pp. 53-55), Ware type Group 6, Cream Ware