Material

Yasmine Mahmoud – August 2026

NOT FINISHED- WORK IN PROGRESS

Sources and materials

There are two sources of clay close to the region of Urkesh, one of red clay and the other of white (Hauser 2007: 37). It is believed that the clay usedd in the production of the figurines and other clay artifacts is locally sourced, since Urkesh is situated close to water sources from the Khanzir and Jakhjakh rivers, both tributaries of the Khabur river.

Preparation of the clay

The preparation of the clay can be done in numerous ways, the most common one is washing the clay after collecting it to get rid of any sizable inclusions (the inclusions depend largely on the source of the clay), then the clay would be mixed with Silica, Micas, sand and Calcite to decrease shrinking while drying or heating which reduces the risk of deformation (Badre 1980: 16). The next step would be to kneed the clay very well to push all the air bubbles out and end up with a soft homogenous clay dough.

Color of the clay

The sample studied here is very small to make an assessment. However, It could be stated that the chroma range for anthropomorphic figurines coincides with the hue registered for the ceramics.

Clay artifact number	Artifact type	Munsell reading	Color reading
J1q498.3	Chariot	7.5 YR8/2	Pinkish white
J1q829.2	Chariot	10YR 8/2	Very pale brown
J1q327.1	Chariot	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J1q211.2	Chariot	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J1q365.2	Chariot	2.5Y 8/4	Pale yellow
J1q657.7	Chariot	7.5YR 8/1	White
J1q901.1	Chariot	10YR 7/2	Light grey
J5.49	Chariot	5Y 6/4	Pale olive
J1q378.3	Sling ball	5YR 6/6	Reddish yellow
J1q1256.1	Sling ball	7.5YR 5/4	Brown
J1.47	Sling ball	10YR 5/3	Brown
J2q206.2	Sling ball	10YR 4/2	Dark grayish brown
J2q406.1	Sling ball	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J2q763.3	Sling ball	5YR 4/1	Dark grey
J2q763.4	Sling ball	5YR 6/3	Light reddish brown
J2q770.1	Sling ball	5YR 4/1	Dark grey
J2q795.1	Sling ball	7.5YR 4/1	Dark grey
J2q803.1	Sling ball	5YR 4/1	Dark grey
J2q803.2	Sling ball	10Y 4/1	Dark greenish grey
J2q803.3	Sling ball	5YR 4/1	Dark grey
J2q803.5	Sling ball	5PB 4/2	Dark bluish grey
J2q803.6	Sling ball	5YR 4/1	Dark grey
J1.66	Token	10YR 4/2	Dark grayish brown
J3q431.1	Token	10YR 5/6	Yellowish brown
J3.35.1	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.2	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.3	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.4	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.5	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.6	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.7	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.8	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.9	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.10	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.11	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.12	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J3.35.13	Token	10YR 4/3	Dark brown
J4q187.1	Token	2.5Y 3/1	Dark grey
J1q1075.1	Clay disk	10YR 4/2	Dark grey
J1q1075.2	Clay disk	7.5YR 6/6	Dark grey
J1q1298.2	Weight	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J1q1336.1	Weight	10YR 6/3	Pale brown
J5.57	Weight	7.5YR 6/8	Reddish yellow
J6q36.1	Weight	7.5YR 6/4	Pale brown
J6q193.2	Weight	2.5YR 7/3	Light reddish brown
J1q64.2	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J1q157.1	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J1q353.1	Wheel	7.5YR 2/5	Black
J1q353.2	Wheel	7.5YR 8/3	Pink
J1q363.2	Wheel	2.5Y 8/3	Pale yellow
J1q363.3	Wheel	10YR 6/4	Light yellowish brown
J1q367.4	Wheel	7.5YR 7/6	Reddish yellow
J1q378.1	Wheel	5YR 8/3	Pink
J1q434.1	Wheel	7.5YR 7/4	Pink
J1q468.3	Wheel	10YR 7/2	Light gray
J1q471.1	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J1q498.1	Wheel	7.5YR 8/2	Pinkish white
J1q499.1	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J1q507.2	Wheel	2.5YR 8/2	Pale yellow
J1q514.1	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J1q703.2	Wheel	10YR 6/4	Light yellowish brown
J1q742.1	Wheel	7.5YR 5/4	Brown
J1q774.1	Wheel	5Y 6/6	Olive yellow
J1q796.1	Wheel	5Y 6/3	Pale olive
J1q797.1	Wheel	10YR 7/6	Yellow
J1q840.4	Wheel	2.5Y 8/2	White
J1q997.1	Wheel	10YR 5/4	Yellowish brown
J1q1118.3	Wheel	7.5Y 7/6	Reddish yellow
J1q1273.2	Wheel	10YR 7/6	Very pale brown
J1q1304.3	Wheel	10YR 6/2	Light brownish gray
J1q1315.4	Wheel	5Y 8/4	Pale yellow
J2q24.1	Wheel	7.5YR 7/8	Reddish yellow
J2q239.1	Wheel	7.5YR 7/4	Pink
J2q349.1	Wheel	5YR 7/3	Pink
J2q365.1	Wheel	5Y 8/1	Grayish white
J2q464.1	Wheel	5YR 4/1	Dark gray
J2q464.2	Wheel	2.5Y 8/3	Dark gray
J2q600.2	Wheel	5YR 7/6	Reddish yellow
J2q640.2	Wheel	5YR 7/6	Reddish yellow
J2q645.2	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J2q645.3	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J2q735.1	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J2q770.2	Wheel	5YR 6/4	Light reddish brown
J2q791.1	Wheel	10YR 8/3	Very pale brown
J2q793.1	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J2q798.1	Wheel	7.5R 5	Gray
J2q809.1	Wheel	2.5Y 8/3	Pale brown
J2q835.1	Wheel	5R 8/2	Very pale brown
J2q835.2	Wheel	7.5YR 6/3	Light brown
J2q855.1	Wheel	2.5Y 7/3	Pale brown
J2q880.1	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J3q82.1	Wheel	5YR 8/1	White
J3q84.2	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J3q281.1	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J3q357.3	Wheel	2.5Y 6/2	Light brownish yellow
J3q386.2	Wheel	5Y 7/4	Pale yellow
J3q403.1	Wheel	5Y 6/3	Pale olive
J3q900.8	Wheel	2.5Y 7/4	Pale yellow
J3q900.11	Wheel	2.5Y 6/4	Light yellowish brown
J3q61.1	Wheel	1 for GLEY 3/N?	Very dark gray
J4q223.2	Wheel	7.5YR 7/8	Reddish yellow
J5q254.1	Wheel	7.5YR 8/2	Pinkish white
J5q55.1	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J5q126.1	Wheel	10YR 6/4	Light brown
J5q315.2	Wheel	7.5YR 6/6	Reddish yellow
J5q392.1	Wheel	10YR 6/6	Brownish yellow
J5q398.2	Wheel	7.5YR 6/6	Brownish yellow
J5q405.1	Wheel	10YR 8/4	Very pale brown
J5q806.1	Wheel	7.5YR 7/6	Reddish yellow
J5.51	Weight	2.5Y 7/3	Pale yellow
J5.58	Weight	10Y 8/4	Very pale brown
J6q69.2	Wheel	5YR 4/2	Olive gray
J6q92.1	Wheel	5Y 7/8	Olive yellow
J6q160.1	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J6q207.1	Wheel	2.5Y 6/8	Olive yellow
J6q223.3	Wheel	2.5YR 7/8	Light red
J6q293.1	Wheel	10YR 5/6	Light olive brown
J6q349.1	Wheel	5YR 7/3	Pink
J6q351.2	Wheel	10YR 7/4	Very pale brown
J6q407.1	Wheel	7.5YR 7/4	Pink
J7q38.2	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Very pale brown
J7q41.2	Wheel	7.5YR 6/8	Reddish yellow
J7q44.1	Wheel	10YR 7/3	Pale brown
J7q51.1	Wheel	5YR 6/6	Reddish yellow

Introduction

Synthetic view

The data

JP – The Temple Plaza and Terrace Edge (Version 1a)

JP Synthetic View / Objects / clay artifacts

Material

Sources and materials

Preparation of the clay

Color of the clay