Urkesh Ceramic Analysis

Shapes by horizon: ED III / Urban Growth 2

Jars

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati – February 2015, September 2016, June 2023

Back to top: Jars

Brief Overview

The definition of the what is a jar is the same for all units and all time periods in the UGR. See here for further details. We have excavated more ED III ceramics than the earlier periods of LC3 and ED II. ED III jars came from a number of excavation units centered in Temple BA in excavation units B1-B5and the temple escarpment in J1, J3 and J5. In the Outer City they came from K1 and OH2. For the ED III shape statistics and a discussion of ED III ceramic chronology during the ED III period see the Overview section. The entire catalog illustrates 114 jars from this time period.

Medium jars and some large jars are made in this period in Wet Smooth ware (WS ware). Some of these jars can have a row of a fine horizontal rope decoration applied near the rim. Additionally folded rim jars with an interior grooved rim begin in this period (jars with groove rim). Considering all the jar types dating to early ED III in J1 and J5, we have the largest number in the various categories of necked jars many of which, especially the restricted necked jars category, had folded grooved rims. In the ED III strata these medium necked jars with globular, cylindrical and ovoid body shapes are made throughout the period; however the early ED III examples have a deeper and wider groove than later examples.

From J1 and J5 it is clear that a small double mouth jar (double mouth jar) continued to be made for the entire ED III period although they were made in very few examples probably indicating that they had only one specific function.

In OH2 we excavated part of an early ED III administrative building. Jars were the most prevalent shape type but the numbers of ceramics from this excavation overall are low. For a discussion of the ceramics see here.

Back to top: Jars

Straight Sided Jars

js.-101
js.-102

Back to top: Jars

Small Jars

jm
jm.-fl

Back to top: Jars

Miniature jars with handle near rim

jm.tr

Back to top: Jars

Globular Jars

jg.-101s
jg.-102
jg.-103fd
jg.-104gd
jg.-105i

Back to top: Jars

Globular jars with double mouth

jg.dm101

Back to top: Jars