Fine Chaff Temper Ware (FC)

Low fired ceramics were characteristic for this ware in Phase 3.

Green-buff self slip.

Small amounts from Areas AK, F1, and strata above AK. This ware is a common type for small and medium forms of bowls and jars in Phase 4.

Chaff and some calcite on the surface, wet smoothed, medium fire, shapes include small bowls, conical cups, a few types of small jar shapes. Buff type clay related to CH but FC vessels are finer, thinner walled and smaller shapes than CH ware. The reddish clay is related to RC but RC tends to have more calcite inclusions and less chaff. The FC clay tends to be more compact.

Buff to green buff or reddish-brown. The reddish brown clay tends more prominently to be used for the conical cup shapes. However conical cups are also made in the buff clay.

proportionately most vessels have a lot of fine chaff temper for these thin walled shapes. Chaff temper is small and sub-round in shape; some shapes have little chaff temper but larger shapes have more of these inclusions. A few of the finer shapes have little temper. Some medium-gray lithic temper can be added. In general in transitioning from middle Akkadian to late Akkadian, chaff inclusions became slightly less frequent and sand inclusions slightly more frequent. In some vessels the chaff temper is evenly distributed but in others this is not the case. Very small and thin vessels were always produced with a small amount of tiny chaff in this phase and later.
Some sand, some calcite; inclusions evenly distributed.

Medium.

None.

Less than 1 cm.

Wet smoothed but leaving a rough exterior.

Painted decoration rare.

Medium frequency in third millennium levels.

This ware is related to RC1 but has a buff to green-buff color while the RC1 ceramics are made from an iron rich clay and therefore have a reddish-brown or reddish-pink color. Examples of this ware were called conical cup ware (CC) in the earliest seasons.

Chaff temper about evenly distributed between long narrow and sub-round chaff holes; this is the predominant temper type. A little calcite in some shapes but gray and orange lithic temper also found.

Usually medium fired but can be high fired; there are more examples with a carbon core than in Phase 4.

Clay is predominantly gray-green firing; fewer examples can be orange-brown.

More tendency to leave both the interior and exterior surfaces rough than in Phase 4.

Ribs on bodies and on top of rims do occur.

As in other Phase 6 wares there is a large amount of added sand (usually dark-gray but with other colors also) making the texture gritty. Little calcite along with the sand. Chaff shown in sub-round holes in finer shapes; in larger shapes both sub-round and long narrow shapes but even in these, sub-round holes predominate. In this phase vessels made earlier with much chaff temper now are produced with little chaff and more sand; this pattern of inclusions is prominent in small to medium bowls and jars but occurred in all shapes independent of their function.

Firing tends to be higher than earlier FC ware vessels.

Green-buff firing clay most common but clay can be orange-buff or red-orange, especially in larger shapes.

In smaller, thinner shapes and goblets small sub-round chaff holes; medium and large shapes can have both sub-round and long narrow chaff holes. Even in small, thin shapes the calcite is medium in size and so quite large for the thickness of the body wall; can have rehydrated calcite on the surface of even thin walled painted forms. Some dark gray sand.

Both gray-green and red-orange firing clay.

Many goblets and small pots are painted.

Most around 0.5cm thick.

Small thin walled shapes predominate (including goblets and small pots).

Large amount of large calcite nodules.

Medium fired, since these shapes are thin walled there is no carbon core.

Thick buff-brown slip on both the exterior and interior.

Usually around 0.5cm.

Most shapes made in this ware are thinner and smaller.