Lithologic Study of Ceramic Water Pipes and Bricks from the Ottoman-Period Aqueducts in the Northern Israeli Coastal Plain

An assemblage of 109 ceramic water pipes and bricks that originated from Ottoman-period water-supply systems along the northern Israeli coastal plain were studied. The aim of this study was to define the raw materials used in their production and identify possible sources, as well as to access technological aspects of their manufacturing process. It was found that the high percentage of sand in the clay, the vitrification obtained due to the use of seawater and the high firing temperatures made the water pipes less prone to leaks and more durable—qualities of outmost importance for items used to convey water. It is suggested that a very large-scale pottery workshop, or several such workshops, operated in the region and produced water pipes of standard form to convey water to the city of ‘Akko in the Ottoman period.