Luxury and common wares: socio-economic aspects of the distribution of glazed pottery in Early Islamic Palestine

Abstract

In the following article the published and unpublished ceramics from 38 selected excavated sites (urban, rural and others) have been examined in order to reassess some socio-economic aspects related to the distribution patterns of glazed table wares in Early Islamic Palestine. The substantial differences between the types of glazed table wares used at different forms of settlement, argue that certain types should be considered luxuries, used by a relatively limited portion of the region's population, while other types were much more common and were therefore used by a wide range of socio-economic classes.