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Materials & Wares
Ceramics: Middle Cypriot |
| By convention, White Painted Ware marks the start of the Cypriot Middle Bronze Age, which conveniently dates to 2000 B.C. For over three centuries it predominated in the eastern and central parts of the island, giving way only in the Late Cypriot to White Slip Ware. Early White Painted Ware had a red-orange geometric decoration carefully painted over a light ground and was burnished to a glossy finish, hence the name, "White Painted." Gradually the painted motifs and vessel shapes became more elaborate in a manner often described as "baroque," though pot surfaces were much less carefully finished. White Painted Ware was exported to sites throughout the mainland, and especially Ugarit and Megiddo. |
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Red Slip Ware & Black Slip Ware both began in the Middle Cypriot period, and are characterized by a thin slip that varies in color from brown-red to black, the variation often being due to firing. The surface finish varies also from unpolished to quite lustrous. Shapes are similar to those found in White Painted Ware. It may be found undecorated, although sometimes does have applied or simple incised motifs. Black Slip III, which was influenced by Egyptian Tel el-Yehudiyeh Ware, is recognized by its finely incised decoration, which continued into the Late Cypriot. In its surface finish and thin-walled construction, Black Slip is the prototype of Base Ring Ware. | |||
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Last Modified: 11/15/99