Perla Fuscaldo
The ceramic material from the Tell el-Dab®a/Avaris palace complex at cEzbet Helmi (areas H/III and H/VI) presented in this paper belongs to the first two strata of the 18th Dynasty. Stratum e/1 corresponds to the earliest phase of the New Kingdom (=Phase d/1), an archaeological horizon characterised by the construction of large storage buildings, offering pits and soldier tombs. Stratum d (= Phase C/3) is the first phase of construction of the main palace, the palace G.391
I. Stratum e/1 = Phase D/1 (Fig. 1)
1.1. The fabrics
The most remarkable feature is the use of sandy Nile clay fabrics (especially Nile B2 that is the most common fabric and, to a smaller extent, Nile C1 for making large sized vessels). Nile B2 sandy (= Nile E4) is used for modelling stratum e/2 shapes, that continue to be used in stratum e/1, as for the new ones. Nevertheless, the typical Nile B2 fabric from the earlier period is still used, but on no more than 10 to 20% of the vessels. Marl F, a local marl from the eastern Delta which had appeared in stratum e/2 (= Phase D/2) for shaping open and closed vessels, is still used without the variations in its fabric that will appear later. Very few imports from Upper Egypt, in Marl A2 and Marl A4, are found in this stratum. There are not yet Marl C zirs from the Memphis-Fayum region.
1.2. The techniques
Some changes appear in the pottery techniques, such as:
A) the use of a tall-stemmed wheel slightly improved (W2), which leaves ridges on the exterior and interior surface of the vessel. An example of a pot shaped with this technique is the flat-bottomed cup 8732S, in Nile E4 fabric (No. 1, Fig. 1);
B) the shaping of open and closed vessels in two, three or four parts, which are then joined together, as can be seen in the change of direction of the ridges and the smoothing marks or the fingerprints made during the joining. The drop jar 8711O (No. 2, Fig. 1) was modelled in Nile E4 fabric with this technique in a tall-stemmed wheel slightly improved. This technique is more marked on the marl clay vessels.
I.3. The wares
There is neither Black Rim ware, typical from the 18th Dynasty, nor Egyptian fine ware, but the last one could be related to the function of the different buildings from this period. Besides the imported amphorae used as containers, very few fine imports can be mentioned from this stratum. The Proto White slip ware appears in two styles, a plain-white milk bowl (No. 3, 9070W1_g, Fig. 1) and a rope lattice decorated milk bowl (No. 4, 9070X, Fig. 1). The plain-white milk bowl (No. 3) reconstructed from sherds, 16 cm in rim diameter, has a low-lustre white slip burnished with a pebble inside and out. It is the only example of this style found in Tell el-Dabca. No. 4 is the body sherd of a milk bowl decorated with a rope lattice pattern with bichrome effect in reddish brown and reddish yellow on a pinkish white slip. Like the other milk bowl, it has the surface pebble burnished with low lustre.392 The Cypriote wheel-made Bichrome ware appears in this stratum.393
CEzbet Helmi see: Bietak, Dorner und Janosi 2001 and Bietak, in Fuscaldo forthc. a.
On the WS ware see the different articles in Karageorghis 2001, Bergoffen 1998. On the published material from Tell el-Dabca: Bietak and Hein 2002; on the WS ware from cEzbet Helmi, Area H/VI: Fuscaldo forthcoming d.
On the BI ware from different areas of Tell el-Dabca: Bietak 2001, and Hein 2001.
World History
