Ceramics of Jericho from the 5th to the 15th Centuries: the Experience of Compiling an Identification Catalog

The article examines a complex of ceramics from excavations at the site of the Russian Museum and Park Complex in Jericho. The study enabled the identification of three distinct periods of use: the late Byzantine, Umayyad and Mamluk. It seems reasonable to attribute the development of the site to the second half of the 4th century, or the first half of the 5th century. The earliest dated pottery from the site dates to this period. The construction of the site occurred during a period of significant urban development in Jericho, spanning the 4th to 5th cen­turies. It seems reasonable to posit that a pilgrimage-monastery complex was constructed on the site without delay. It seems likely that in the second half of the 6th century, a pottery workshop was established outside the monastery fence, occupying a previously unoccupied area. Excavations conducted in 2017 in square 7 to the mainland revealed the absence of earlier cultural layers, indicating that the workshop was constructed at this time. In 659 AD, the workshop was devastated by a powerful earthquake. However, it was swiftly rebuilt and continued operations until the middle of the 8th century. The workshop produced an extensive range of household vessels, tableware and imitations of red lacquer. The cessation of the workshop's functioning is likely associated with the catastrophic earthquake of 749, after which the territory of the Russian site was abandoned for several centuries. The subsequent phase of the site’s use dates back to the Mamluk period, during which foundations and remains of stone masonry, ovens/tandoors, and utility pits have survived. Nevertheless, Jericho of that time was not a fully-fledged city. Instead, it was comprised of small villages, individual farmsteads and plots of land.