The Late Hellenistic and Early Roman Pottery of Nabatean Oboda: Final Report

Twelve hundred vessels found at Oboda (Avdat) in the Nabatean potter's workshop, in the fill of the podium of the Nabatean temple, in the ruins of a partly excavated Nabatean dwelling, in the large city dump, and in various other loci constitute the most complete corpus of pottery found on a Nabatean site and reveal the splendor of the Nabatean culture of the 1st century CE. Apart from the numerous imported vessels from all over the Roman empire, Oboda was an important production center of local pottery, which included the fine eggshell ware, sigillata, and innumerable types of plain ware. Most of the pottery pertains to the Middle Nabatean period (30 BCE\*50-70 CE), when Oboda held a key position in the Nabatean caravan network. The meager finds of the early period, all imported from centers in the eastern Mediterranean, are in keeping with a site in transition between semi-nomadism and semi-sedentarization. An attempt has been made to classify the pottery not only by type but also by function. Abbreviatons and bibliography ......Page 9 Dedication ......Page 12 Plan and sections of Potter's Workshop ......Page 13 Foreword ......Page 14 Introduction ......Page 16 List of loci ......Page 22 The pottery ......Page 24 A. “Megarian” bowls ......Page 25 B. Grey-black slipped Ware ......Page 28 D. Stamped Rhodian jar-handles ......Page 29 1. Western Sigillata ......Page 30 2. Lead-glazed Ware ......Page 33 3. Eastern Sigillata ......Page 35 4. Pompeian Red ......Page 38 5. Grey Ware and Terra Nigra (?) ......Page 41 1. Eastern Sigillata A ......Page 42 2. Nabatean Sigillata ......Page 47 A. Additional examples (and variants) of patterns represented already in the PW ......Page 57 B. Nabatean Dump and other loci, with patterns represented in the PW ......Page 62 C. New patterns ......Page 67 D. Painted votive bowls ......Page 81 A. Stamped Ware ......Page 83 B. Rouletted Ware ......Page 88 C. Moulded Ware ......Page 90 D. Green Ware ......Page 92 1. Fine eating vessels ......Page 94 2. Drinking vessels ......Page 101 3. Accessory vessels ......Page 104 1. Plates ......Page 108 2. Bowls ......Page 110 A. Pots ......Page 115 B. Casseroles ......Page 119 C. Pans or “baking trays” ......Page 120 2. Globular juglets ......Page 121 4. Jugs ......Page 122 6. Jugs, misc ......Page 124 8. Small ovoid jugs ......Page 125 9. Ungentaria ......Page 126 1. Bowls and craters ......Page 129 2. Jars ......Page 130 3. Jugs ......Page 132 1. Bowls ......Page 135 2. Household jars ......Page 136 4. Jugs and juglets ......Page 137 E. Miscellaneous forms ......Page 139 F. Handles ......Page 140 VIII. Terracottas ......Page 141 A. Females Figurines ......Page 142 B. Horses and camels ......Page 143 C. Plaques ......Page 144 D. Miscellany ......Page 145 2. Roman ......Page 147 1. Herodian ......Page 151 2. Southern lamp (“Bar-Kohba” lamps) ......Page 152 4. The Roman round lamp ......Page 153 1. Type I ......Page 155 2. Type II ......Page 158 4. Unique lamps ......Page 160 Provenance of Pottery ......Page 161