Back to top: J5 Ceramics general character of ceramics in Unit J5 stratum 12
Review of current situation
Typical stratum 12 shapes, carinated bowls: fine with straight sides (eg. q130-p4 f93), fine with light buff to buff-brown slip eg. q125-p3 f93), medium with straight sides (q79-p9 f61), carinated bowls with rounded sides (eg. q164-p1 f112), bowl with straight groove above carination(eg. q121-p2 f91), flat rim bowl carinated on exterior but not on interior (q262-p4 f167). Other bowls: bowl with heavy ribbing on the exterior (eg q180-p5 f129), bowl or beaker with straight sides and square rim (eg. q180-p1 f129). Jars: deep straight sided jars with rim rectangular in section (eg. q141-p2 f98), globular jar with short neck and rounded rim (q180-p3 f129).
Other characteristics of the ceramics in the stratum: as in stratum 14 there are few cooking vessels, few gray or painted sherds; this is the usual distributional pattern in all Urkesh strata dating to the Mittani period. Two double painted (“Nuzi ware”) sherds did occurr but these are not a numerically important element in any late Mittani strata.
Gray ware: only 4 sherds were found in all the features dating to this stratum , a high footed base (q207-p4 f88), a typical gray ware bowl with simple rim (q86-p7 f63), a typical light gray bowl with wide flat rim and rib below the rim (q164-p9 f112), a disk base (q145-p19 f100).
Types of painted decoration on sherds: red-banded bowls (q123-p1 f91, q166-p3 f114), necked jars with paint on top of rim and solidly painted neck (eg. q274-p2 f167, q115-p5 f75), bowl with parallel stripes on top of rim and running triangles on the body (q34-p3 f30), painted jars (q166-p12 f114, q145-p12 f100), ring bases with paint on bottom of base exterior q122-p5 f91, q173-p6 f112), bowl with interior bands and bands also on top of rim (q84-p5 f63), bowl with painted design above the carination (q97-p70 f45), body sherd with unusual painted design (q113-p1 f63).
Unusual shapes, handles: straight, oval in section (q105-p17 f45), handle extending from top of rim, long, flattened on all sides (q79-p3 f61 and q66-p2 f52), curved handle extending from top of rim (q274-p1 f167), handle of large vessel, oval in section (q194-p4 f100), thick handles, round in section (q86-p24 f62, q263-p33 f167).
Unusual shapes, bases: most bases are goblet bases (eg. q86-p5 f63, q218-p1 f76), footed beaker? base (q105-p3 f45), beaker ring base (q38-p6 f23), vessel leg, rectangular in section, white clay with thick white slip,repaired with bitumen at the join with the vessel body (q263-p2 f167), deep bowl with template decoration (q38-p1 f23), tray? or platter with ring base (q148-p12 f100), thick overfired cup or beaker with string cut base unusual in that there are almost no string cut bases or overfired pottery in J5 and J1 Mittani strata (q151-p4 f63), carinated bowl with burning on interior and over rim - probably a lamp (q262-p2 f167).
Earlier sherds in stratum 12: A small number of Late Chalcolithic 3 sherds mixed in some stratum 12 features.