ABSTRACT
Gypsum stone vessels first appear in the southern Levant sometime early in the MBIIB period, apparently in response to the popularity of Egyptian imported versions, as they initially copy the shapes and styles of these quite closely. There is always a clear distinction between these two groups, as the local versions are made from gypsum, rather than the calcite preferred by the Egyptian industry of the time, and the interiors of their vessels are always removed using chisels, rather than drills. Gypsum is slightly water soluble and therefore no good for holding liquids such as wine, beer or milk. None of the gypsum vessels in the catalogue appear to have protective surface coatings to compensate for this, although some modern workshops harden the surface of gypsum vessels to give them greater durability. Carinated bowls are rare in gypsum, represented by a single example from Pella.
