Sphero-conical Vessels from the Ayyubid Wall of Cairo: A Typology (11th – 15th c.)

Résumé En

During the archaeological excavations along the medieval walls of Cairo, undertaken by the Aga Khan Cultural Services and the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo, a large amount of pottery has been discovered that can be dated from the Fatimid Period until the modern times. Within the Ayyubid and Mamluk layers a number of sphero-conical vessels have been identified. Made from a hard dense clay, these vessels are cooked to a high temperature and are coated with a purplish slip that sometimes appears shiny. The stratigraphy of the site has unfortunately not provided any clue concerning the function of these artefacts; however, very useful information with regard to dating can be understood. These containers can be divided into two different chronological groupings: Firstly, the Ayyubid era, which can be divided in two subgroups ; and secondly, the Mamluk era, represented by vessels exhibiting incised "scales" as decoration and in rare cases, a glazed surface. A number of similar containers from the Fatimid era can be added to the chronological-typology in order to show a kind of "prototype" to these spheroconical vessels. These vessels seem to be made of the same type of clay and are coated with the same slip.