Fragile Biography: The Life Cycle of Ceramics and Refuse Disposal Patterns in Late Antique and Early Medieval Palestine (Babesch Supplementa)

"This book is the first comprehensive synthesis of the life cycle of ceramics and of refuse management in ancient Palestine during the later Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (4th to 11th centuries CE). The study sheds light on selected material culture-related behavioral practices of the people who produced, used and manipulated ceramics during late antique and early medieval times. The research presents the local picture of pottery use-life, including prime use, reuse, repair, recycling and disposal. The reuse, repair and recycling of pottery reflect a plethora of behavioral practices, some common to the greater Mediterranean and Near Eastern world and some unique to the discussed region and periods. Similarly, the discussion of refuse disposal, while using selected case studies, has shown that attitudes towards the residues of people's activity were basically similar in different regions and periods, though the ways in which refuse was managed was often dictated by specific cultural and regional circumstances. Finally, a first attempt has been made in this study to partially unveil the mental rationale behind the above-mentioned practices. The conclusion is that mere pragmatism motivated the rather frequent reuse, repair and recycling of pottery, though it also showed that this tendency became more dominant - in historical Palestine and probably elsewhere - in Late Antiquity and later." --Back cover CONTENTS 8 Introduction 11 Pottery Life Cycle and Refuse Disposal Patterns in Late Antique and Early Medieval Palestine 14 Pottery in Late Antique and Early Medieval Palestine 18 The Reuse of Transport and Storage Wares 84 The Reuse of Other Ceramic Classes 120 Pottery Repair 129 Pottery Recycling 138 Refuse Disposal Patterns: Pottery and Beyond 145 Maps and Lists of Sites Mentioned in the Text 174 Snapshots of Ceramics Life Cycle in Ottoman and Mandatory Palestine 177 List of Illustrations 183 Bibliography 188 Index 202