Clay Speaks of Adaptation: Pottery from Frankish Palestine

During the Frankish period, the local society of the Levant underwent significant changes following the arrival of diverse groups of newcomers. The interactions and integration among individuals from various ethnic backgrounds are manifested in the diverse material culture they left behind, whether as monumental as a fort or as mundane as a broken dining dish. The connection between ceramic wares and the identity of those who produced and used them has long intrigued researchers studying different historical periods. Ceramic wares of the Frankish period were made in abundance in various production centres, comprising both local pottery and imported vessels that reached the kingdom through its main port city of Acre and other coastal cities, including Jaffa, Tyre, and Beirut. Through examination of ceramic assemblages from diverse sites in the western Upper Galilee region (Figure 1), this research demonstrates that pottery serves not as a reliable indicator of ethnic identity or socio-economic status, but rather as evidence of complex cultural adaptation between Western and Eastern societies that reflects both preference and necessity. (Figure presented.).