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5.2 Class 2 (Figure 9)

The clay used to produce this class of pottery belongs mainly to Fabric Group 2, which is fine to medium in texture, medium compact, with grey and white inclusions. However, other Fabric Groups (in order of predominance: 3, 1, 7, 4, 9, 8, 10, 6) are also represented. A number of shaping techniques are evident, which enables us to identify these as composite pots. For restrictive shaped vessels, the upper part of the body and the rim are made with coils. The traces of their junction (indicated by internal thickening) are clearly visible on the internal surface of the vase. A slow wheel has been used to join and thin all parts of the pots. The external surfaces of vessels are particularly regular. The lower part of the body might have been shaped using another technique such as a convex mould, but the size of the bodysherds is too small to ascertain this for certain. In the majority of examples, smoothing lines are visible on the internal and/or external sides (colours of surfaces 2.5YR-6/6 light red, 2.5 YR-6/8 light red; 7.5YR-8/4 pink). A red slip is applied on the external surface of the vessels and on the upper internal surfaces of restricted shapes. Surfaces are often polished or burnished. On some potsherds, a white slip identified as a layer of preparation for the red slip is visible. The neck and the upper part of the body of restrictive shapes often show incised parallel lines. Vessels were fired in a well-controlled oxidising environment, as suggested by the full buff or light red core of potsherds.

We have established the variants of Class 2 mainly on the basis of the types of decoration (red slip of good quality, red slip of bad quality, incised/appliqué/impressed decorations, red mix with micaceous slip, impressed decoration, added decoration). A small number of potsherds employ several decorative techniques simultaneously (red slip, red mix with micaceous slip, incised decoration and possibly impressed decoration). We accept that many of the distinctions between variants are arbitrary, and these could easily be collapsed into fewer divisions. Yet because we have such a small sample size we have decided to maintain these distinctions until such time as we can incorporate more pots into our analyses.

Class 2 variant 1 (n=544) (Figure 10)

This variant includes potsherds with a red slip of good quality that is sometimes lightly burnished (10R-4/8 red, 10R-5/8 red, 10R-4/6 red, 2.5YR-5/8 red). Most of the shapes are restrictive such as jars with or without neck and mainly out-turned rims. But a few unrestrictive shapes have also been found. These include bowls with slightly in-turned rim and bowls with ribbed/bifoliate rim. For vessel forms, see Lefrancq and Hawkes (2019b, plates 2–5).

Class 2 variant 2 (n=287) (Figure 11)

Class 2 variant 2 sherds display a red slip that is of a medium or poor quality (2.5YR-6/6 light red, 10R-6/4 pale red) in comparison with those of Class 2 variant 1. The slip may have degraded due to post-depositional effects, which might also explain the 'soapier' feel to the surfaces. Shapes are similar to those of Class 2 variant 1, i.e. mainly jars with neck and out-turned rim and a few bowls with in-turned rim, but they offer less diversity in types and variants of types. For vessel forms, see Lefrancq and Hawkes (2019b, plates 5, 6).

Class 2 variant 3 (n=79) (Figure 12)

This variant could be a sub-variant of the Class 2 variants 1 and 2 in the sense that the potsherds have a red slip of good (variant 1), medium or poor (variant 2) quality on the external surface, along with an incised decoration, an 'appliqué' decoration and/or an impressed decoration made probably with a rope. The incised decorations consist of horizontal and parallel lines and/or oblique lines forming a triangle, while the applied decoration corresponds to a coil on which finger-prints have been impressed. As for the impressed decoration, a twisted rope might have been used to make a kind of 'engraved' pattern. Only bodysherds probably belonging to restrictive shapes were found. For vessel forms, see Lefrancq and Hawkes (2019b, plate 6).

Class 2 variant 4 (n=437) (Figure 13)

This variant is characterised by a red slip (10R-4/8 red, 10R-5/8 red) that is mixed with mica powder (small mica specks are visible). This has been applied on the external surface of restrictive-shaped vessels, and on the internal surface of unrestrictive shapes. It is clear that the mica has been added deliberately during the preparation of the slip, because the fabric of the pot visible in section does not contain mica. Vessel shapes are the same as those made with Class 2 variants 1 and 2: bowls with thick or featureless rim, jars without neck and out-turned rim and jars with neck and out-turned and thick rim. For vessel forms, see Lefrancq and Hawkes (2019b, plates 7–9).

Class 2 variant 5 (n=32) (Figure 14)

Pots belonging to this variant are decorated with impressed motifs on the external surface of the vessel body. Patterns include horizontal registers of impressed dots or triangles, as well as lines impressed using a twisted cord. The factor that defines this variant as distinct from variant 3 is the absence of red slip. However, as mentioned in the general description of the overall class, the slip might have degraded as a result of post-depositional process. Only bodysherds corresponding to restrictive shapes were found. For vessel forms, see Lefrancq and Hawkes (2019b, plate 9).

Class 2 variant 6 (n=16) (Figure 15)

The last variant of this class is characterised by the application of a preparation of mud-clay on the external surface of the pots (colour of external surface 2.5YR-6/6 light red, colour of internal surface 5YR-7/3 pink, 5YR-6/4 light reddish brown, colour of mud decoration: 2.5YR-6/8 light red). Sometimes, this mixture is mixed with mica. The most common fabric used in the production of these pots is Fabric Group 3, but a few pots were made using Fabric Groups 2 and 1 as well. For vessel forms, see Lefrancq and Hawkes (2019b, plate 9).

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