The Iron Age ceramic production of Mishrifeh/Qatna (Syria) in the regional context of the northern Levant

This volume presents a comprehensive study of the Iron Age pottery uncovered by the Italian Archaeological Mission of the University of Udine at Mishrifeh/Qatna (Syria). Its significance lies in the in-depth analysis of the extensive assemblage of ceramics from well-defined stratigraphic and functionally differentiated contexts (residential, productive, storage, and funerary areas). The volume provides scholars with a continuous pottery sequence, supported by radiocarbon dating, covering the period from the late Iron Age I to the Iron Age III. The study also includes a thorough analysis of archaeological contexts, ceramic fabrics, typology, and decorative styles, along with a typological-functional approach aimed at linking specific pottery forms to particular archaeological contexts. The book also examines the placement of Mishrifeh’s ceramic production within the broader framework of the pottery regions of the Northern and Southern Levant during the Iron Age. Through this research, the author establishes a classification system for the site’s pottery, identifies key diagnostic types, and reinterprets Mishrifeh’s interactions with other centres of the Levant. These findings have enabled the reassessment of Mishrifeh’s role in Central-Western Syria during a time of significant transformations, addressing a key gap in our understanding of the region’s Iron Age material culture.