"226 DR. E. W. G. MASTERMAN, ON RECKXT DISCOVERIES 



last we reach back to a prehistoric age when Hints alone are 

 used. AYe have fortunately one extremely valuable indication 

 for dating the strata of the " tells " — this is the pottery. Though 

 •so friable, pottery is, unless deliberately ground up, practically' 

 indestructible, and even in small fragments has a sure tale to 

 tell to the experienced judge. The making of pottery is also 

 •one of the oldest arts ; jars of various kinds are found with the 

 ■earliest rem,ains of the stone age in Palestine. There have been 

 changing fashions in pottery, both in the material and in the 

 forms and decoration of the vessels. The use of many distinctive 

 types was synchronous all over the known civihsed world. 

 Tliough commonly found in fragments there is no period which 

 has not left perfect specimens of its pottery types in tombs or 

 •caves or cisterns, so that the experienced worker knows just 

 Avhere he is historically when he sees the pottery emerge. Even 

 •strolling over the surface of a tell he can judge very expeditiously 

 the date of the last occupation by the Eoman, Greek, or Hebrew 

 sherds which lie exposed by every winter's rainfall. 



All the workers in l*alestine recognise one main series of 

 types, following the lines laid down by the experienced Egyptian 

 •explorer. Professor Petrie, during his six weeks' work at Tell el 

 Hesy. The chief differences of opinion are in the names which 

 •sliould be given to the types of certain periods. The designations 

 vary somewhat with individual workers, but the dating of the 

 types within a century or so is now fairly fixed. The following 

 ;aie in brief outline the chief classes recognised : 



A. Pkehistoric Period. 



Earliest primitive pottery, found so far only among the 

 troglodytes of Gezer. It is roughly made and very porous. 

 ])ate uncertain, certainly as far back as 3000 B.C., and possibly 

 ^s 4000 B.C. 



P. Historic Periods. 



I. (rt) Early Amorite or Early Pre-hracUtc : before 1600 B.C. 

 Found at Gezer in Stratum III together witli many Hyksos 

 scarabs; proi)ably as early ns 2000 B.C.; found in the earliest 

 remains at Tell Ta'anuk, Tell el Hesy, Tdl es Sdfi, and Tell 

 ■Judeydeh. 



(h) Later Amorite or Late Fre-Lsraelite (lGOO-1300 B.C.). 

 Pottery showing a great advance in culture, analogous to that of 

 'Cyprus, IMykene, and Egypt, and, according to Sayce, showing 

 Hittite intlucnce. Pound in all the tells except Sandahannah. 



