Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware from Hittite Contexts

In Hittite excavation sites from central Anatolia Red Lustrous Wheelmade Ware is the only “foreign“ pottery occurring in a number worth mentioning. Differences to the uniform Hittite pottery were recognized by the means of technological investigations. Compared with other regions, in central Anatolia the repertoire of this ware is limited, as mainly arm-shaped vessels and spindle bottles occur. Recent research on RLWm-Ware including finds from Anatolia studied this ware exclusively as a whole. But a detailed quantitative and chorological study showed clearly that the types mentioned above differ from each other in certain respects. From these results new questions raise, especially those of cultural background. Without answering these questions, we can not solve the problem of the origin of RLWm-Ware in a satisfying way. Therefore the different types of RLWm-Ware should not simply be treated as a unit. Furthermore as a result of recent studies considerable changes on the absolute chronology of Hittite archaeology were achieved, which will have an effect on the common ideas of the occurrence of RLWm-Ware in Anatolia.

Dirk Paul Mielke

Marburg