Dark faced burnished ware
Encyclopedia
Dark Faced Burnished Ware or DFBW is the earliest form of pottery developed in the western world
.
It was produced after the earliest examples from the indepenent phenomenon
of the Jomon culture in Japan
and is predominantly found at archaeological sites in Lebanon
, Israel
and southwest Syria
. Some notable examples of Dark Faced Burnished Ware were found at Tell Dhahab and Tell Judaidah in Amuq by Robert Braidwood as well as at Ras Shamra and Tell Boueid. Other finds have been made at Yumuktepe
in Mersin
, Turkey
where comparative studies were made defining different categories of ware that have been generally grouped as DFBW. It is thought to have come as a development of White Ware
and takes it's name from the often dark coloured choice of clays from which it is made. Vessels are often coarse, tempered with grit or sand, burnished to a shiny finish and made with a variety of clay
s in different areas. The grit or sand is thought to have made the vessels easier to fire and the burnishing made them less permeable
and suitable for heated liquid substances. Later examples are usually finer and more carefully burnished and decorated. Designs included rounded, inverted or straight sided bowls with plain rims, some with basic handles under the rims along with ring bases in the later pieces. Decorations included incised or impressed chevrons or motifs with pattern burnishing appearing in later periods. Other types of pottery were produced around the same time including coarse impressed ware, dark faced unburnished ware and washed impressed ware but these were less prevalent.
DFBW has long been considered the forbear of the more polished examples such as Ancient Greek pottery.
History of pottery in the Southern Levant
The history of pottery in Palestine describes the discovery and cultural development of pottery in Syro-Palestinian archaeology in the historical region of Palestine, which includes the modern day polities of Israel, the Palestinian Authority administered areas of the West Bank and the Gaza strip,...
.
It was produced after the earliest examples from the indepenent phenomenon
Phenomenon
A phenomenon , plural phenomena, is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences'...
of the Jomon culture in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and is predominantly found at archaeological sites in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and southwest Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Some notable examples of Dark Faced Burnished Ware were found at Tell Dhahab and Tell Judaidah in Amuq by Robert Braidwood as well as at Ras Shamra and Tell Boueid. Other finds have been made at Yumuktepe
Yumuktepe
Yumuktepe is a tumulus at within the city borders of Mersin, Turkey. In 1936 the tumulus was at the outskirts of Mersin. But after the rapid increase of population, now the tumulus is in the Toroslar municipality of Mersin....
in Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
where comparative studies were made defining different categories of ware that have been generally grouped as DFBW. It is thought to have come as a development of White Ware
White Ware
White Ware or "Vaisselle Blanche" is the first precursor to clay pottery developed in the Levant that appeared in the 9th millennium BC, during the pre-pottery neolithic period....
and takes it's name from the often dark coloured choice of clays from which it is made. Vessels are often coarse, tempered with grit or sand, burnished to a shiny finish and made with a variety of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
s in different areas. The grit or sand is thought to have made the vessels easier to fire and the burnishing made them less permeable
Permeation
Permeation, in physics and engineering, is the penetration of a permeate through a solid, and is related to a material's intrinsic permeability...
and suitable for heated liquid substances. Later examples are usually finer and more carefully burnished and decorated. Designs included rounded, inverted or straight sided bowls with plain rims, some with basic handles under the rims along with ring bases in the later pieces. Decorations included incised or impressed chevrons or motifs with pattern burnishing appearing in later periods. Other types of pottery were produced around the same time including coarse impressed ware, dark faced unburnished ware and washed impressed ware but these were less prevalent.
DFBW has long been considered the forbear of the more polished examples such as Ancient Greek pottery.