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Jordan Times
17-04-2025
- Science
- Jordan Times
Study shows Wadi ath-Thamad clays suitable for Nabataean pottery production
Photo courtesy of Jordan Archaeological Museum (Nabataean painted fine vessels) AMMAN — Scholars have no evidence of a pottery workshop at the Nabataean settlement of Mudayna Thamad, although they found many pottery pieces at the site. The easy access to clay resources in the Wadi ath-Thamad for local pottery making at Mudayna Thamad prompted a multidisciplinary study to investigate attributes of the wadi clay and its suitability for manufacturing small bowls. "We began with an experimental archaeology project where a professional potter easily threw several small bowls from a hump of wadi clay, which fired successfully," said Maria-Louise Sidoroff, an independent scholar. Sidoroff added that based on the experimental results, an investigation of resources in the Wadi ath-Thamad collected by Braun and her was undertaken. This included plasticity tests and firings conducted on two sets of samples from the wadi for information about the clay attributes. Three of the Braun samples were taken from recent naturally levigated alluvial deposits and all Sidoroff samples were taken from recent alluvial deposits based on evidence from successful replication experiments with naturally levigated clay and the earlier experiments with wadi clay. "A preliminary test in the field with a moistened claycoil twisted into a ring was used as a guide to sample choice. The size of particles of clay grains gives an indication of the property of plasticity in are source because the smallest sizes give the greatest plasticity, which is important especially for wheel throwing,' the scholar said. 'In a small clear container with a tight lid, 40 ml water was added and 10 ml clay. The container was shaken until the clay particles were in complete suspension, then it was left unmoved while observations were recorded every ten minutes for 2 hours," Sidoroff elaborated. According to geochemist Velde, the lightest and smallest clay grains settle more slowly. As clays are the smallest materials with regard to grain size they tend to stay afloat longer and can be separated from the larger grains. If the water still remains cloudy after 2 hours this indicates good potting clay. Several clay samples remained in suspension for 2 hours. The test results indicated there are deposits of alluvial clays in the Wadi ath-Thamad with sufficient plasticity. "Tests of the Braun samples were formed into eight round clay tokens [3 cm diameter, 5 mm thickness] that were fired to cone 06 [1028°C] in the electric kiln of an art pottery studio. The second group of Sidoroff clay samples were formed into twelve rectangular shaped tiles [5 cm x 83 cm x 6 mm thickness]," Sidoroff noted. She added that due to and fired by Dr. Ann Cordell the abundance of calcium carbonate in Wadi ath-Thamad clay and fired colour of some bowls as mentioned above, it was hypothesised that some Nabataean unpainted bowls may have been fired at a low temperature in antiquity since there was rare evidence of calcium carbonate spalling on Nabataean ware from the Mudayna Thamad settlement. There is an ongoing dialogue regarding firing temperatures for calcareous clays before the calcium decomposes and forms lime. When calcareous clays are fired between 650°C and 900°C lime is formed, which leads to cracks in vessel walls, called spalling, as the lime absorbs atmospheric moisture after firing. Firing test tiles at the lowest temperature would avoid this effect and would more closely replicate heat in open pit firings using fuel such as brush or dung, and leave few traces of this activity. Based on this information, a different firing regime was conducted for the Sidoroff clay test tiles. Dr. Cordell began the controlled firing sequence at 3:55 pm when the electric kiln was and then maintained at 275°C for ten minutes (with the door cracked), then the door was shut completely and the temperature was raised to 650°C over a period of twenty minutes. The 650°C temperature was maintained for thirty minutes. The kiln was turned off at 5:10 pm and opened slightly to begin cooling. The entire firing process (when the furnace was on) took 75 minutes, Sidoroff explained. Based on this firing, the results indicated that the Wadi ath-Thamad clay samples can achieve hardness at low temperatures resulting in more subdued colours than the fired colours of Nabataean ware from Petra. "Nevertheless, the experiments showed that plastic clays were available near Mudayna Thamad that could be used to produce fine ware bowls with reddish yellow colours," Sidoroff concluded.
Jordan Times
25-03-2025
- General
- Jordan Times
Nabataean influence revealed in excavations at Mughur Sabik, Mudayna Thamad
The aerial view of the Iron Age and Nabataean site of Khirbet Al Mudayna (Photo courtesy of Khirbet Al Mudayna Project) AMMAN — Mughur Sabik and Mudayna Thamad are located in the close proximity, just a few kilometres from each other. Both are surrounded by farmland, reservoirs, water installations and architectural structures with building blocks tooled in the Nabataean style. These two large settlements along with smaller sites in the region attest to a strong Nabatean presence in this rich agricultural region, said Maria-Louise Sidoroff, an independent scholar. Sidoroff added that analysis of painted fine ware from each site finds the greater percentage similar to decor phase 3b to indicate settlement phases in the second half of the 1st century AD. Pottery from Mudayna Thamad came from the Nabataean settlement and composed of a reservoir and villa. "There were two phases of occupation in the plastered reservoir. In the first phase the reservoir walls were deeply footed below the level of the floor. Superimposed layers of flat-topped boulders and cobble stones packed with mortar/cement were laid as the foundation for the floor." "The floor itself and the walls were coated with four to five layers of fine plaster," noted Sidoroff, adding that the second phase of occupation suggests reuse of the structure as a domestic or storage facility. The ten piers built on top of the plastered floor supported stone arches and created separate rooms. Eight seasons of excavations revealed that the villa was composed of two adjoining structures built in one stratum with two phases close in time. 'First a thick-walled two room sector was constructed and, a short time later using the similar construction techniques, a many roomed sector was built to completely enclose a central courtyard. The greatest number and variety of vessel types were excavated in the area around the doorway to the first structure,' Sidoroff said. "This doorway had a cut stone frame, which consisted of a pair of vertical doorjambs and a locking mechanism for the door. A stairway of eleven steps was immediately to the right of the entrance leading to a second and possibly a third floor." "One would pass through this entry area into a high status room with a finely dressed stone floor and three massive stone arches," the scholar explained. While all the pottery in villa was broken and widely scattered, due in part to the late, Ottoman period burials which were intrusive in the overlying debris, both diagnostic and non diagnostic sherds were kept for possible restoration. Work continues on the ceramic corpus stored in two locations with permission of the Jordanian Department of Antiquities. Pottery 'Most of the pottery studied from Mudayna Thamad came from the two excavated structures. Within the reservoir, in the area of an oven in the northeast corner, unpainted and painted fine ware were excavated,' Sidoroff continued. The scholar added that within the villa complex, the Nabataean pottery consisted of common ware, such as jugs, jars, bottles, bowls and well-fired thin walled cooking pots with exterior ribbing. Also present were Nabataean unpainted bowls and painted fine ware. "In a selection of diagnostic sherds from the villa representing 447 vessels, 60 per cent were small bowls with 39 per cent unpainted and 21 per cent painted. Other vessels include 9 per cent bottles, 8 per cent jars, 7 per cent storage jars and 1.7 per cent cooking pots," Sidoroff elaborated. Most bowls uncovered in the reservoir and villa were manufactured in the technological style of the well documented Nabataean bowls. 'Generally, the unpainted bowls are slightly smaller with thicker walls. Painted bowls have around base, while unpainted bowls have a ring base. The unpainted bowls are present at sites in greater numbers than the painted bowls, which were more laborious to produce,' noted Sidoroff. The scholar added that at Mudyna Thamad a few of the details on some unpainted bowls suggest they were manufactured by potters who had not perfected the technological style. "For example, some bowl interiors were unsmoothed, others had a roughly trimmed ring base, a few presented brushed reddish-brown bands on the interior, and dull fired colours, indicating low firing temperatures especially when compared to the red colours of Petra bowls," Sidoroff underscored.
Jordan Times
16-03-2025
- General
- Jordan Times
Industrial pottery production in Ancient Jordan: Insights from Nabataean workshops at Az-Zurraba, Ayla
Ancient Ayla, modern day Aqaba, was one of centres for industrial production of pottery (Photo courtesy of ACOR) AMMAN — Industrial pottery manufacture was developed in Jordan, southern Levant, Asia Minor, Tunisia and Sardinia. There are different preconditions for a pottery production on an industrial scale-enough clay, dependable water source and fuel. The operation would be located a distance from residential areas leaving a large footprint of covered and uncovered areas for the different phases of production. "There may be evidence of clay body preparation including pits for hydrating, mixing, and settling clay. The temper in the clay body would most likely remain the same through time but there would be variability in the clay body due to the unevenness of clay sources over long periods of use," said Marie-Louise Sidoroff. Sidoroff added that there would be large numbers of wasters in the immediate area of more than one kiln structure surrounded by open spaces for setting out pottery before and after firing. Standardisation would be observed in vessel metrics, morphology and decoration, although structures may not survive, especially if constructed of perishable materials, an industrial operation requires a protected area to store prepared clay body, to situate potters' work stations, and to slowly dry great numbers of vessels for a week or more before firing. 'Also, problematical would be uncovering the remains of potter's wheels completely made of wood, which were typically used in antiquity, with the exception of the heakick wheels when made of fired clay or stone,' Sidoroff said, noting that the presence of markets in the region to absorb large quantities of pottery justifies the presence of an industrial production workshop. Archaeological signatures of industrial operations are present over long periods of time at two Nabataean pottery workshops in Jordan: az-Zurraba (Petra) and Ayla (Aqaba). "Az-Zurraba, the longest industrial operation in Jordan, was active from the 1st to at least the 6th century AD with an abundant source of clay at Ayn at-Tinah and a spring nearby. Through Neutron Activation Analysis the clay is proven to be the main pottery production resource for fine Nabataean ceramics." "Further signatures of an industrial operation in the area are ten kilns," Sidoroff elaborated. At Ayla, excavations by The Roman Aqaba Project uncovered large quantities of coarse ware pottery dating from its founding in the first century and possibly continuing into the 8th century AD. Abundant fuel resources are suggested at az-Zurraba, where olive residue in the kiln area was probably obtained from an olive press excavated nearby and more problematic are necessary quantities of fuel at the desert oasis of Ayla where, so far, only small charcoal samples of palm, tamarisk and acacia have been uncovered, Sidoroff elaborated. "At az-Zurraba five stone walled rooms indicate that potters worked in the same protected location over several centuries. The layout of the rooms suggests that individual potters at az-Zurraba were grouped together to form a tightly clustered industrial complex. So far at Ayla, only one small structure associated with a kiln has been uncovered," Sidoroff explained. She noted that there is standardisation in clay body, vessel morphology, and decoration in vessels from both industrial sites. At Ayla a continuity of rim form has been noted over seven centuries and beginning in the 5th AD century a new industry extended through the 7th century AD producing standardised 'Ayla amphorae.' "Ayla potters manufactured ware with a light colour exterior and mica temper and lightly coloured exteriors on amphorae are distinguishing marks of Ayla ware. The evidence from both workshops attests to markets with the capacity to absorb industrial level production, "Sidoroff underscored. She added that the abundance of fine ware at Nabataean and commerce with the wider Mediterranean world played a role in distribution of Nabataean pottery and quantities of Ayla amphorae are found within the site and along the Red Sea littoral.
