Page 96 - DILMUN 14

‫ﻝﺡ‬

١Wr٥ and nufacturing

It is prinarily thc colour and the texture of the ware of the ceramics of the second
group whicl hold our attcntion. It contains only one type of temper which is large
vegctal tempcr coarscly' cut. In some cases the traces of the chaff temper has.
partially disappearcd in thc course of manufacturing it is very lightwcight and
porous, his ware is ycllow or grcenish-yellow. Occasionally this ware is found with
a small proportion of sand temper of various grain sies, as well as a slightly darer
color: pinish-buff or greenish-buf.f

Most of the vessels of this group were manufactured without the use of the
whcel. he basins with "baset' handles in particular disclose a rather rudimentary
manufacture and carry traces of hand modeling.

he majority of sherds of this group have no traces of surface treatment. Only
three sherds are decorated with an incied or punched design (Fig. 8:10, iFg. 9:6
and pl. 1:1,2 & 4). One sherd, of which the ware is particularly coarse and greenish,
is covered with a thic, semi-glossy, cracly pale biue glae, he crude glae
improperly flowed during the firing and is rippled.

Comparisons
Some of the above described from have parallels in sites in Arabia, Mesopotamia

or Iran. Without any pretext of being exhaustive, it is satisfactory here to note a few
of the sites where ceramics have been found resembling those of the second group.
In effect, it is the ceramics of this group which constitute the innovation in
period IV.

he large jars with deep ring or pedestal bases rfom the Oal'at al-Bahrain (Fig.
8:1.3 and 4, and Fig. 9:3-8 and 13-15) may be compared to types 74 and 94 from
Failaa, attributed to around 1300 B.C. Analogous forms are found at Hajar bin
Humeid in South Arabia (Fig. 10:2) at Susa (Fig. 10:3) and at Nippur ,‫ ﻻ‬however
with a rather different rim profile.

At Hajar bin Humeid, these forms appear to be found in various levels, thus the
possible dates range from the 11/10th c to the 4/3rd cB.C. At Susa they are found in
levels 13, 9 and 8 approximately dating from 1300 to 800 B.C. Still ufrther west in
Arabia, from Najran-Uhdad are found jars comparable to those of the Oal'at
al-Bahrain ٩.

As well, we note the funeral jars from Janussan, on Bahrai itself (Fig. 10:4).
heir attributed date of the 7l6th c B.C. must be re-examined.

he punched and incied decoration, obsevred on several of the sherds ،from
2al'at al-Bahrain (Fig. 8:10 and 9:6 and 16) again recall the decorative motifs
nown from the Arabian site of Hajar bin Humeid ٩.

2٦