7 Evidence of Material Culture from the Geniza—An Attempt to Correlate Textual and Archaeological Findings

Abstract

This chapter attempts to integrate knowledge acquired from these two major sources of information - contemporary documentation and archeological findings. It concentrates on a Geniza document from the E. N. Adler Collection, housed in New York, ENA1822, a lengthy list of objects written in Judeo- Arabic. The Geniza document mentions articles made of clay, brass, lead, iron, wood, paper, and different types of textiles - wool, cotton and silk, in particular. It refers to different types of ceramic vessels, as well, some of which are quite dissimilar but are referred to by the same name. The largest group of vessels mentioned in this document is the various metal casseroles, dustpans, pails, lids, drinking cups, ladles, mortars, hand mills, etc. Mortars and pestles were found in two excavations in Tiberias and these are Islamic mortars. J. W. Allan proposed two types of mortars: a Mediterranean type and an Eastern Islamic type. Keywords: Geniza document; Islamic mortars; J. W. Allan; Tiberias