Canaanite Piriform Juglet
Name/Title
Canaanite Piriform JugletEntry/Object ID
11NE-Mi43-180Description
A complete Middle Bronze IIA Canaanite piriform juglet, with a flaring, flattened rim, double handle that extends from the rim ridge to the shoulder, a tapering pear-shaped body, and small flat base. Although the original surface is a bit hard to see, there are some remnants of a red slip.Use
Juglets were generally used to house liquids, often as a transit vessel between larger jugs and the context in which the liquid would be used. The slender neck diameter suggests that this piriform juglet was used for high-value liquids (for example, perfumed oils) as it would allow for control when pouring.Context
During the Middle Bronze IIA (MB IIA), a variety of different forms of jugs and juglets were produced, reflecting the inventiveness of potters during this time. This type of juglet, often referred to as a piriform juglet, is characteristic of the Bronze Age and branches out into many different variations over the course of this period before reaching its peak in the early Iron Age. Because there are many variations of this type of juglet, they can be easily differentiated and dated based on certain features. In the case of the MB IIA and MB IIB juglets, the body and rim are the main distinguishing features. As such, the oval body and everted rim of this juglet date it to the MB IIA. In general, juglets were used for transferring and transporting liquids. In the MB IIA, there were eight main types of juglets, each with certain distinguishing features that appeared in certain locations. Piriform juglets like this appear all over the region, although the vessels with everted rims like the one pictured are a coastal phenomenon.Collection
Near EastMade/Created
Date made
circa 1950 BCE - circa 1750 BCETime Period
Bronze AgeEthnography
Cultural Region
Area
Eastern MediterraneanCulture/Tribe
Near Eastern - Canaanite