Overview

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati – February 2014

Corpus

The excavated Mittani period ceramics are much more numerous than the corpus we have excavated for either the Khabur or the Middle Assyrian periods. The result of the large number of excavated contexts dating to the Mittani period is that the ceramic catalog is fuller and more varied. Many of the contexts are associated with the Plaza situated in front of the temple terrace, with a newly constructed staircase on the western side of the temple terrace. Other contexts are connected with a series of rooms to the west of the Plaza which are more than likely connected functionally with the temple and some minor contexts in other parts of the site.

Vessel shapes

The overall shapes made in the Mittani period are more varied than in any other period and the details of the shapes are more articulated. For this reason there are a number of variations listed under the type number of many of the shapes: for example, the bowl type bcrsa813 includes five examples, which are illustrated side by side. The type of necked jars, so prevalent in the Khabur period, are less frequent now with hole mouth and shouldered jars becoming more prevalent; some few jar shapes have handles from rim to body, or large tab handles. Drinking vessels have changed in that footed goblets are now the standard although cylindrical vessels and the relatively minor number of conical cups in the corpus were probably also used for drinking. Some of the smaller shapes categorized under pots may also have been employed for the same purpose.

Geometric motifs

During the Mittani period we have the widest variety of designs motifs combining both geometric and representational designs. The geometric designs include parallel stripes of varying widths, some connected with wide solidly painted areas. A checkerboard design of alternating black and white rectangles is quite common. Additionally, geometric designs can include running triangles filled with a variety of patterns, or a hatched band encircling the body of the vessel. Rims can be covered with solid paint or can have a series of short parallel strokes either all around the rim or arranged in discrete groups; rims can also be decorated with hatching or covered with a series of running triangles. Drip marks in a short line, usually diagonal, can be found on the exterior or interior of jars and deep bowls. Painted decoration types are commonest on footed goblets and deep bowls; the deep bowls are in any case a large shape category in this period. The painted designs on deep bowls usually consist in painted bands of various widths and solidly painted or patterned rims. Deep bowls with a more cylindrical shape can have one or more bands with birds painted on a dark band; a combination of geometric and naturalistic designs.

Plant and animal motifs

Painted designs of plants and animals, especially birds, usually in white paint over a dark background encircling the vessel near the rim are characteristic for this painted decoration. Occasionally these figures can be white painted birds on a red background. In addition to birds in Mozan, we found a portion of a bowl with fish and a water pattern both above and below; this is our only example of this type of decoration. Another unique motif is a large horned animal. A bowl decorated in two registers on the exterior has what appears to be a sun symbol in a panel in the top register and plants below.

Other decoration types

Although painted designs are more prevalent, incised designs and deep ribbing patterns also occur among the Mittani period decoration types. Occasionally the ribs are decorated with incisions (perhaps to imitate rope decoration). Some vessels are decorated with incisions on both the rim and body; in this case the rim is usually wide and flat. Rope decoration occurs by itself and occasionally can be combined with painted bands. However, it is unusual to have incisions or ribbing combined with painted bands.

Ware types

Basically the wares used in the Mittani period are a continuation of the developmental path of the wares employed for most of the third millennium, clearly starting in Early Dynastic IIIb but probably already beginning in Early Dynastic IIIa, and continuing into the second millennium as late as the Middle Assyrian period. In the Mittani period, in general for all the wares used, the size of the tempering inclusions are more varied and the firing is more uneven. If we look at only the two major wares, CH and RC, we note that CH ware vessels have more sand added to the temper base and in some cases the vessels are not as highly fired as previously. RC ware can exhibit the usual “sandwich” effect of the firing but this is only present in the Mittani period in the finer shapes, especially in goblet shapes. Also in RC ware we find sand as an important temper. Additionally, we see more size variation in the calcite inclusions and interestingly, even though the potter went to great length to add the painted decoration on the exterior of some vessels, the tempering was not sufficiently attended to so that there can be rehydrated calcite nodules breaking up the surface.

Ware, decoration and shape intersections

As in all periods some shapes are envisioned by the Urkesh potters as appropriately made in only one ware type while other shapes can be constructed in a variety of wares. In all periods P ware vessels have a limited range because cooking vessels are more efficient in a restricted shape range. Small vessels are usually made in fine wares and this is true for the goblets produced in the Mittani period. Footed goblets and conical cups are usually made in FC ware and mostly painted in bands; in some cases birds, geometric or plant motifs can be painted over the dark bands. Jars and deep bowls tend to be made in CH ware; necked jars may have a solid painted neck or rope decoration at the base of the neck. The combinations of ware, decoration and shape are also clear in the category of hole mouth jars, usually made in CH ware; the upper body near the rim often has a painted or ribbed decoration. deep bowls are very similar to hole mouth jars in the sense that they are prevalently made in CH ware and when decorated have the painted designs or ribbing on the upper part of the body.