Softstone: Approaches to the study of chlorite and calcite vessels in the Middle East and Central Asia from prehistory to the present

Edited by Carl S. Phillips Edited by St John Simpson

Book cover: Softstone: Approaches to the study of chlorite and calcite vessels in the Middle East and Central Asia from prehistory to the present

Extent: 284 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: Ancient Near East

Series: International Association for the Study of Arabia Monographs

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(August 2018)

ISBN: 9781784919924

8.07 x 11.42 inches

Price: $90.00

In stock

Stone containers have been made and used in the Middle East for over eleven millennia where they pre-dated the invention of pottery. This is the first attempt to bring together different approaches to the study of softstone vessels, particularly those carved from varieties of chlorite, and covering all periods from prehistory to the


Stone containers have been made and used in the Middle East for over eleven millennia where they pre-dated the invention of pottery and were widely traded. The appearance or properties of the stone helped govern how stone vessels were valued or used and many classes were strictly utilitarian, being used for storage, cooking or lighting. Others were decorated and at times they were considered valuable exotica, particularly in regions far removed from their source areas. The subject of stone vessels is attracting growing attention but this is the first attempt to bring together different approaches to the study of softstone vessels, particularly but not exclusively those carved from varieties of chlorite, and covering all periods from prehistory to the present.

  • Edited by Carl S. Phillips
  • Edited by St John Simpson