J5 Ceramics
General character of ceramics in Unit J5 stratum 70 (J5B), horizon 8m (J5B)

Back to top: J5 Ceramics General character of ceramics in Unit J5 stratum 70 (J5B), horizon 8m (J5B)

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General character of sherds in the stratum: since the features in the stratum are very near the surface of the mound, many sherds are severely encrusted, most are small, many sherds are worn on all surfaces due to weathering, this makes the determination of surface texture difficult or impossible. The texture of Middle Assyrian sherds from other sites in the region is described as poorly finished on the surface, this is difficult to determine from many sherds in this stratum for the above reasons. Middle Assyrian sherds in this stratum are in general of a poorer quality than vessels made in the Mittani period, in addition to the surface texture discussed above, medium and large jars have heavy wheel marks, flat, disk and ring bases are thicker and often are cracked on the interior. Some individual vessels are very poorly finished (eg, q187-p1 f110 is a loop handle that was attached to the vessel by lumps of clay that still remain on the surface of the vessel). Since there are few features excavated from this time period in J5, some of the examples cited below are from strata above or just below stratum 70 and are generally considered stratified but as “topsoil”.Feature 44 is late Mittani with some Middle Assyrian sherds mixed in.

Typical stratum 70 shapes: Many ring bases, few bowls and a large number of jar rims. Middle Assyrian bowls from Mozan are usually carinated with relatively flat sides, few bowls have rounded sides. The carinated shapes can have the carination relatively low with straight vessel walls above or a high carination just below the rim; this second type is less frequent. Bowls are found also with only a slight carination just below the rim (q55-p17 f44). The open straight sided froms are mostly plates. Characteristic Middle Assyrian jar shapes in the stratum include narrow necked jars with turned over rim (q20-p6 f42), narrow necked jar with very thick folded over rim (typical for Middle Assyrian q207-p6 f42), same type jar with a slight ring base (q21-p11 f12), narrow and thick flat base (typical for Middle Assyrian q206-p4 f105, q242-p2 f162, both of these examples are from higher strata considered as “topsoil”). Necked jars, so important in the Khabur period inventory, are rarer in the Mittani period and very rare in the Middle Assyrian period. “Nipple” type bases on goblets are characteristic for the Middle Assyrian period (q61-p5 f44, q20-p10 f42).

Other characteristics of the ceramics in the stratum: One of the major variations of CH ware is one with a heavy amount of chaff with a thick white-buff slip (q142-p2 f42, a ring base q55-p6 f44, a slightly elevated disk base q55-p26 f44) and sometimes very well smoothed exterior(bowl q55-p22 f44).

Gray Ware: This ware was never important numerically in any Mittani strata and is not one of the wares that continued into the Middle Assyrian period.

Types of painted decoration: Late Khabur type footed goblets with painted parallel horizontal bands on the body (q95-p1 f68) continue from tje Mittani period into the Middle Assyrian period. Bands on top of bowl rims continue from the Khabur period but in the Middle Assyrian examples they are poorly painted (q228-p1 f160 found in an upper stratum connected with the excavation of a baulk). Red banded bowls continue from the Mittani period but in this stratum are often thinner walled (q58-p9 f44). Also they are not as prevalent as previously. One goblet with a typical “nipple” base is painted on the exterior with parallel bands all the way to the base; it has wide drip lines on the interior. An unusual shape is a small knobbed handle with a painted design on the body next to the handle (q160-p70 f94).

Unusual decoration type: One bowl has a slipped and smoothed interior and a rope-type decoration just below the rim on the widest part of the body (q111-p23 f68).

Unusual shapes: Cylindrical jar with a small disk base with small knob on the interior (q61-p11 f44); this example is not well made as it has heavy wheel marks and severe cracking on the interior of the base.

Mittani sherds in stratum 70: Middle Assyrian ceramics are mixed with some Mittani ceramics, for example in f44. From the evidence of other Middle Assyrian sites in the region it is clear that many shapes and wares continue from the Mittani period into the Middle Assyrian period. This is not new as pottery painted with Khabur designs continue to be made in the Mittani period; to a limited extent and with a decrease in quality these designs even continue into the Middle Assyrian period(see above). Mittani types in this stratum include goblets, ring bases, red-banded plates and the related orange burnished bowls. This distributioinal pattern is also true for disk bases which were more prevalent in Mittani strata but continue in stratum 70. Finer carinated bowls continue from the Mittani period (q165-p4 f94, q61-p3 f44). Ceramic work disks (reused body sherds sub-round in shape with traces of smoothing or chopping along the edges)continue from Khabur to Mittani and Middle Assyrian strata.

Imitations: As in earlier periods imitations of earlier decoration designs are also present in the Middle Assyrian inventory. On a deep bowl there are two deep template lines with a very lightly incised wavy line between (q21-p7 f12). This type of decoration is typical for Phases 3 and 4 and found on deep bowls in those periods. Also a pointed zizzag template line (q20-p7 f42)is found on one vessel body; template zizzag line decoration but not pointed at the extremes are characteristic for Phase 4.