Asia Minor, Yortan Culture or related in Western Anatolia, Early Bronze Age, ca. 2700 to 2300 BCE. Made of black grey clay and fired to a glossy finish, this is a round-bodied jar with fine-line incised decoration radiating downward from the shoulder. A border of pyramidal projections, interspersed with four raised, lugged handles, rises from the body just above the origin of these lines, forming a crenellation-like border on the shoulder. A short, cylindrical neck with a wide, flared mouth rises from the center of the body. Size: 5.5" W x 5.7" H (14 cm x 14.5 cm)

Ancient Western Anatolia is famous for a number of large ruins, most notably Troy (Hisarlik), but many mysteries remain. The Yortan culture is known through a burial site in the valley of Bakir Cai that has not been well-studied. Adults and children were buried, crouched in large terracotta storage containers; around them was placed a great deal of pottery in the form of jugs, jars, and occasionally bowls, much of it blackware just like this piece. An incredibly rare and well-preserved example from a little-known culture!

Provenance: private Boulder, Colorado, USA collection

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#133411

Repaired from multiple pieces; repairs are well done and difficult to see. With nice encrustations attesting to its age.