Urkesh Ceramic Analysis

Categorization / Lexicon / Wares / 3rd-2nd mill.

Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati – Semptember 2011
Laerke Recht – May 2016

Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

General Description

Ninevite 5 ware is notable for its incised decorations. Usually the vessels are fine and the temper is fine. The color ranges from gray-green to buff. Ninevite 5 Ware can sometimes be divided among early and late examples, however, in the current system all Ninevite 5 sherds are coded using NIN. The differences between the early and late are given below.
Ninevite 5 is part of the Fine Buff Wares Group.

Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

Early Ninevite 5 Plain and Incised Ware (EN)

Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

Characteristics

Basis for Definition

J1f352, J2 pebble pavements below monumental stairway, sherds found in later strata, sherds from the surface of the site.

Identifying Attributes

Little or no temper, medium fired, gray-green or tan-buff color, small fine vessel shapes.

Clay Type

Hard, very fine particles.

Temper

Fine sand, fine calcite, even in thinner walled vessels the size of the inclusions can be fine to medium; lithic inclusions are mainly gray-green but more rarely black or orange; chaff temper is very fine but occasionally there are larger sub-round shapes.

Firing

Medium.

Color

Gray-green, tan-buff and some light gray.

Wall thickness

Less than 5mm.

Shapes

  • Small thin walled forms bowls;

  • Beakers;

  • Few small jars.

  • Surface treatment

    Self slip with very well smoothed exterior surface.

    Decoration

    Thin long and short incised lines. Comb impressed lines made with the points of the comb; can have one thin band of rope decoration below the rim.

    Comments

    Made from a clay similar to Simple ware but the medium firing and distinctive coloring immediately distinguishes this ware from Simple ware. Since few of these sherds have been found, through the 2010 season all Ninevite 5 sherds were analyzed as Nin (or NIN) and not distinguished between early and late.

    Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

    Sherd Illustrations



    S1.57

    Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

    Late Ninevite 5 Incised and Grooved Ware (LN)

    Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

    Characteristics

    Basis for Definition

    Ob1 and Oa4 tombs in the Outer City.

    Identifyin Attributes

    Wide deep incisions and grooves, thicker walled bessels, yellow-buff color, medium fire, more inclusions than EN ware

    Clay Type

    Hard, very fine particles.

    Temper

    Fine chaff and small minerals.

    Firing

    Medium.

    Color

    Yellow-buff.

    Wall Thickness

    5 to 1 cm.

    Shapes

  • Small carinated bowls both decorated and undecorated.

  • Large pots with pointed base.

  • Surface Treatment

    Self slip but exterior not as smooth as EN.

    Decoration

    Alternating incised and grooved patterns.

    Comments

    The undecorated portions can be differentiated from EN ware because they are thicker walled and have more inclusions. Since few of these sherds have been found, through the 2010 season all Ninevite 5 sherds were analyzed as Nin (or NIN) and not distinguished between early and late.

    Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)

    Sherd Illustrations


    Ob1.47

    Ob1.54

    Ob1.39

    Back to top: Ninevite 5 Ware (NIN)