unknown Cypriot
Cypriot Primary

Chalcolithic Cypriote Red Slip Ware handle fragment with string holes

Chalcolithic
4000 BCE-2500 BCE

1 3/4 in. x 7/8 in. x 5/16 in. (4.4 cm x 2.2 cm x 0.8 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Chalcolithic - Refers to the period and culture associated with the transitional phase between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. It is characterized by the hammering, melting, and casting of copper for ornaments and tools, and is distinguished from Bronze Age technologies in that the copper was typically not or only seldomly combined with tin or other metal in an alloy, and stone tools were used at the same time as metal ones. Chalcolithic cultures developed at different times in different parts of the world, ranging from early sporadic use of copper around 7,000 BCE in the Near East to established use by around 1,900 BCE in Britain.
• Cypriote - Refers to the culture of the island of Cyprus, particularly during the Bronze Age from about 2300 to 1050 BCE.
• handles - Those portions of, or attachments to, objects that are designed to be grasped by the hand.
• piercing - Puncturing or perforating, as to create a decorative pattern by removing small pieces of the material, usually metal; original technique done with a chisel but later with a small saw.
• sherds - Limited to fragments of pottery or glass.
• slip - Fine clay which, when mixed with water, results in a fluid with a creamlike consistency, used in casting, glazing, decorating, and repairing ceramic wares; in its natural state, it contains sufficient flux to be used for glazing and decorating without the need of additives. For ceramic glaze with a high content of slip, use "slip glaze."