the archaeology of the extended family 243
type. In general, however, Wampler’s analysis was outstanding and
has stood the test of time. Ten ceramic categories were represented
by the pottery from the compound: bowls, chalices, kraters, cooking
pots, pithoi, jars, jugs, juglets, pilgrim asks, and lamps (see Table 1)
(Amiran 1969: 15).
7
Ceramics
Most of the ceramic types can be divided into three groups based on
interpretation of vessel function: cooking, consumption/serving, and
storage (Lederman 1999: 126; Hardin 2001: 133–138; King and Stager
2001: 64–67, 142–146). e cooking group is made up of cooking
pots;
8
the consumption/serving group, of bowls, kraters, jugs, pilgrim
asks, and dipper juglets; and the storage group, of pithoi, container
juglets, and jars, including storage jars, conical jars, and holemouth
jars.
9
I have not coded chalices, since they may have been used for
drinking liquids, oering libations, burning incense, or all three func-
tions; regardless, their numbers are statistically insignicant. Lamps
do not t any of the functional groups and will be treated separately.
Since the absolute number of ceramic vessels in the three groups dif-
fers by room, the percentage of pottery in each group out of the total
number of vessels in a given room must be compared. e gures are
found in Table 2, and are schematized visually in Fig. 2.
10
e highest percentage of cooking vessels is 40% in Room 588
sublevel I. is may be a bit misrepresentative, as there are only ve
vessels in the three groups, two of which are cooking pots. e next
highest percentages are 27.27% in Room 581, 18.75% in Room 608
level I, 18.18% in Room 588 level I, and 18.18% in Bin 355. Rooms
608 and 588 and Bin 355 are all in the same three-room house, and it
is unlikely that all three loci were used as kitchens. Bin 355 is prob-
ably too small a space to have been a kitchen, and no ovens or hearths
7
ree of Amiran’s ceramic categories, goblets, amphoriskoi, and pyxides, were
not found in the compound.
8
Cooking jugs and griddles were not found in this compound, though they are
present in contemporaneous contexts at Naṣbeh.
9
For the division of juglets into two groups, see Hunt 1987: 203–204.
10
Room 579 has been le out of Fig. 2, since it had only three vessels, one from
each functional group. Room 579 was only partially excavated (Zorn 1993a: 739),
perhaps because the presence of the nearby “rubble heap” made its excavation dicult
(see Fig. 1).