ABSTRACT
The stone vessel industries of Egypt and Near East developed distinctive regional styles, with many of the factors governing choice of shape and decoration being determined by the dominant material culture of an area. Potential sources of raw materials can be established through detailed geological surveys of a region. Sometimes archaeological evidence at the collection area indicates ancient activity. Access to raw materials is probably one of the most significant factors in the initial development of stone vessel industry. A stone vessel industry is more likely to emerge from local traditions based on locally available resources, unless implanted from areas where those traditions had been fully developed and which continued to use external suppliers. Chlorite and Steatite materials belong to the same geological family, but have different mineralogical contents, with chlorites being composed largely of the mineral chlorite and steatites of talc. The physical characteristics of these materials were probably significant factor in their choice for making certain vessel types.
