Page 251 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

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Fine and Painted Wares
In most respects, the painted wares of Barbar I are similar to those in the
pre-Barbar levels. Black paint on fine, light red and orange paste is predominant.
A comparison can be made between Figure 43g and h and Figure 47e, p, g, and s.
Rim forms are similar as well. New painted motifs are noted for vessels 47f-h,
47o, and 47t. Only one painted sherd, 47o, was found with a buff paste. By means
of general comparison, these forms relate well with fine and painted wares from
the Umm an-Nar tombs and settlement (Karen Frifelt 1975, and personal
communication). TTtese wares are also similar to Kaftari painted wares from
Persia which are late third to early second millennium in age (Sumner 1974, 1972).
It is significant that black on orange painted wares are found in levels 20-29, but
only in the mid-Barbar I levels, 23 and 24, is the frequency greater than 1.6
percent. TTiese levels have 4.1 and 3.0 percent, respectively. Although the
collections here are statistically biased in favor of decorated items, it would seem
that there was an influx of Umm an-Nar related painted pottery during Barbar I.
Karen Frifelt notes that there are few parallels between the settlement pottery of

Fig. 46. Barbar I Plain Wares.

a. A520, Level 23; sand-tempered buff ware.
b. A520, Level 23; sand-tempered buff ware.
c. A520, Level 24; sand-tempered buff ware.
d. A520, Level 23; cream slip on sand-tempered, light brown ware.
e. A520, Level 23; sand-tempered buff ware.
f. A520, Level 24; sand-tempered buff ware.
g. A520, Level 24; sand-tempered buff ware.
h. A520, Level 25; fine sand-tempered, light orange ware.
i. A520, Level 25; sand-tempered buff ware.
j. A520, Level 23; sand-tempered buff ware.
k. A520, Level 24; fine, greenish-buff ware.
l. A520, Level 23; sand-tempered buff ware.
m. A520, Level 22; dark red paint on sand-tempered orange ware.
n. A520, Level 22; sand-tempered, orange ware.