1.1.1. Imported materials in Bandar Abbas
The largest part of the assemblage in both zones is dominated by Yemeni storage and cooking pottery, of which we have documented a minimum number of 62 vessels (41 in the NE zone alone) (Fig. 3). The two most common types are large jars with thickened, massive rims, usually decorated with an incised wavy line design, and hemispherical basins and bowls with thickened, but not massive, beveled or flat rims, incised wavy lines and at times a groove framing the rim. In addition to the wavy lines, they often have cross-hatched designs on the upper part of the wall. The color varies from beige to red brick and brown, although beige is more frequent. This kind of pottery, described as “mixing bowls” by Ciuk and Keall (1996: 95/30–35) and “basins à decor ondulé” by Rougeulle (2015: 160-162), is common in Yemen between 750 and 1150 CE. However, the type present at Bandar Abbas is of the so-called “transitional” type in which the wavy lines are made with a comb and is dated to the eleventh and twelfth centuries (Ciuk and Keall, 1996: pl. 95/32 a-d). In Sharma, the “transitional” type is very common, is first attested during the late eleventh century, and makes up to 60% of the assemblage during the twelfth (Rougeulle, 2015: 162). After the Yemeni pottery, the second most common cooking ware comes from India. We have found a minimum number of 20 vessels of a type akin to Indian Red and Black Ware (IRAB), which is dated from the eleventh to fourteenth centuries (Priestman 2013: 549–550). In Sharma, Indian wares increase from the eleventh century onwards (Collinet, 2015: 167) (Fig. 4).
As for fine wares, the most common are Late Sgraffiatos from southern Iran, of which 34 sherds were found. Most belong to the hatched type, but there are also two sherds of yellow sgraffiato and four fragments of the green and white splashed type. They have the same chronology, spanning from the mid-eleventh to the thirteenth century (Priestman 2013: 583–585). Only five of the fragments appeared in the NE zone. The number of sgraffiatos is probably higher, because we found small fragments of glazed pottery (usually green) that may belong to this type of ware (Fig. 5). Yemeni Yellow (Mustard ware) is very scant: only three sherds were found, corresponding to perhaps two vessels and representing just 3% of the imported fine wares (versus 43% sgraffiatos and 30% celadons). It is usually dated to 1250–1350 (Horton, 1996: 291; Hardy-Guibert, 2005; Priestman 2013: 637; Rougeulle and Zhao, 2015: 427). Green glazed and sgraffiatos together comprise 68% of the fine wares found in the entire site (43 items).
Chinese Celadon (greenware), of which we have recovered 24 fragments, is chronologically consistent with the rest of the pottery. We have several small bowls with rolled lips which are common during the tenth to twelfth centuries (Zhao, 2015a: fig. 202). There are four fragments of bowls with the characteristic milky Qingbai glaze. One of the best-preserved fragments is a base with lotus petals (Fig. 6, n° 1). Qingbai wares are abundant in Sharma (Zhao, 2015a), where similar bowls with lotus decorations are dated between the late tenth and eleventh centuries (Zhao, 2015a: fig. 206a). Similar Yue celadons and Qingbai have been documented in the Tur fort (Sinai) dated from the ninth to twelfth centuries (Kawatoko, 2005: 851–853). The other East Asian imports are Martaban (brown-glazed stoneware jars) produced in south China, of which a minimum number of eight vessels have been found. They have grey fabric with many black particles and dark green to dark brown glaze. This coincides with Fabric 5 and 6 of Zhao, 2015a, Zhao, 2015b: 286). Fabric 5 is characteristic of jars produced in the province of Fujian between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. A jar with a trumpet-shaped mouth (Fig. 6, n° 2)has a good parallel in a Thai example with Fabric 6 of a type dated to the twelfth to fourteen centuries in Sharma (Zhao, 2015a: fig. 215). Like Yemeni Yellow wares, Martabani jars only appear in the SW zone. Another type of material that we could only document in the SW zone are ribbed store jars, of which we recorded a minimum number of three vessels.
Other materials include many fragments of glass objects, mostly small perfume vials and phials in aqua and green color. Some of the flasks probably contained kohl: we have found two kohl sticks in aqua glass (cf. Hansman, 1985: pl. IV, p-q) (Fig. 4, nos 7–8). Remarkable finds are fragments from two tiny faceted flasks, one in emerald green and the other in cobalt blue, that are similar in size and shape to molar flasks. These were produced in Iran or Egypt and were common in the Islamic world between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, but are particularly popular during the tenth and eleventh (Swan Needell, 2018: 84–85). Personal adornments were numerous. With 25 items, glass and stone beads are better represented here than in any other site. Glass beads appear in yellow, blue and turquoise. Stone beads are of carnelian and agate and most likely from India.
[su_button url=”https://saxafimedia.com/asia-horn-indian-ocean-trade-somaliland/5/” style=”soft” size=”12″ wide=”yes” center=”yes” text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #FFFFFF” rel=”lightbox”]CONTINUE READING ON THE NEXT PAGE >[/su_button]
