General Information

Beginning in the later 2nd or early 1st c. BCE, Jerusalem potters began manufacturing a series of household and table vessels with very thin walls (0.2-0.5 cm). The shapes include small saucers with narrow folded rims, small bowls with sharply inturned rims, small juglets with cupped rims, small table jugs, and folded lamps. The fabric is dense and highly compact, light pink in color, and generally speckled with fine to small white grits. There is no decoration, although surfaces are generally finely finished by wet smoothing. These vessels are found throughout Jerusalem and also elsewhere in Judea. 

A decorated version of this ware is the Judaean Painted Ware and the cooking ware associated with the same technological approach is the Judaean Early Roman Compact Cooking Ware. 

A compact ware with very thin walls. Colors range from light orange-pink to light gray. Sometimes an external treatment of light wash or light brown color is applied.  

Jerusalem, City of David/Ophel (Israel-Palestinian Authority/Central Highlands)

Jerusalem, Old City/East Jerusalem (Israel-Palestinian Authority/Central Highlands)

Jerusalem, West Jerusalem (Israel-Palestinian Authority/Central Highlands)