EARLY APPEARANCE OF RED-ON-BLACK/RED WARE AT KABRI AND ACHZIV

This article explores the distribution of Cypriot Red-onBlack and Red-on-Red (RoB/RoR) ware in the southern Levant during the Middle Bronze I to Late Bronze I. While traditionally associated with Middle Bronze II through Late Bronze I, the study presents evidence suggesting an even earlier appearance of RoB/RoR in the southern Levant, specifically in Tel Kabri Phase DW V, corresponding to the transitional Middle Bronze I–II. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the timeline and trade routes of this distinctive pottery. In examining the earliest occurrences of RoB/RoR in the southern Levant, potential characteristics of Bronze Age sailing mobility between Cyprus and the southern Levant are also presented, indicating that open-sea crossings would have been possible, especially to the major coastal sites in the area of Tel Kabri, such as Achziv and Akko.