Jihad Al-Daire	AVO 14
Pottery Decoration from its Beginning in the Neolithic Period	ISBN 978-3-86835-038-8
to the End of the Early Bronze Age III in Jordan	xxvi + 337 pp.
	2011
	95,- EUR
The primary aims of this study are to identify and classify the types of pottery decoration from the Pottery Neolithic Period to the end of the Early Bronze Age III, to outline the decoration pattern trends in each period, and to determine whether there are any common features between these patterns in the different ages. The study mainly concentrates on the excavated sites in Jordan, covering different geographical regions within this area. The study indicates the utensils used in daily life as well as artistic objects of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period A, B and C and demonstrates their role in the invention of pottery at the end of the late sixth millennium. This study shows that pottery manufacture was not introduced by newcomers as suggested by several scholars but it comes as the result of long experimentation with clay, white ware and other daily utensils used in the previous period. The general features and especially the artistic characteristics of each period of study are discussed and explained. This serves as a preamble to the study of pottery decoration and shows how much pottery manufacture was developed compared to other aspects of the fine arts.

Introduction

Chapter One: Pottery of the Neolithic Period

Introduction 

Chronology of the Neolithic Period

Art and Ritual Symbolic Artifacts in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic PPN

     I. Human Figurines

     II. Animal Figurines

     III. Plaster Human Statuary from Ain Ghazal 

     IV. Plaster Skulls

Daily utensils prior to ceramic invention

     I. White Ware or “Vessels Blanches”

     II. Ground Stone and Stone Vessels

     III. Burnt and Sun-Dried Objects

Pottery Neolithic Period

     I. The Yarmoukian Culture

     II. The Pottery Neolithic A and B/Jericho IX and VIII

     III. Decoration Techniques of the Pottery Neolithic Period

Summary

Chapter Two: Pottery of the Chalcolithic Period

Introduction 

The Chronology of the Chalcolithic Period 

Wadi Rabah Culture

Chalcolithic sites and pottery decoration

     I. Munhata

     II. Tabaqat el-Buma WZ 200

     III. Tubna WZ 121

     IV. Tell Fendi

     V. Pella (Tabaqat Fahel)

     VI. Abu Hamid

     VII. Tleilat Ghassul

     VIII. Hujairat el-Ghuzlan

     IX. Tell esh-Shuneh

Summary

Chapter Three: Pottery of the Early Bronze Age

Introduction 

Relative Chronology of the Early Bronze Age

Absolute Chronology of the Early Bronze Age

Early Bronze Age I 

     I. Grey Burnished Ware

     II. Red Burnished Ware (Proto Urban A) and Grain Wash Ware 

     III. Line Group Painted Ware (Proto Urban B) 

     IV. Impressed Slashed Ware (Proto Urban D/Umm Hammad Ware)

The Early Bronze Age II and III Pottery

I. Metallic Ware

     II. Abydos Ware

     III. Khirbet el-Karak Ware

Chapter Four: Early Bronze Age Pottery from Jordanian Sites

     I. Tell Umm Hammad

     II. Bab edh-Dhra

  III. Tell Abu el-Kharaz

     IV. Khirbet ez-Zeraqon

Summary

Chapter Five: Conclusion

Incised Decoration 

Punctuations and Impressions

Combed Decoration 

Plastic Decoration 

Painting 

Surface Treatment

List of References 

Figures

Index of Authors

Index of Sites