Holy Land "Black Juglets" - 1000 - 587 BCE

From Kelly, J. The "Black" Juglets in Iron Age II Palestine: A Collation of Finds and an Analysis of Typology, Chronology, Technology, and Distribution. (Jerusalem, 2014).  Available Online

Burnished black pottery has been a part of the ceramic repertoire of ancient Palestine since the fourth millennium BCE The Iron Age II saw an upsurge in the popularity of burnished black pottery, which appeared predominantly, though not exclusively, in the form of small juglets. These juglets are, not surprisingly, designated "black juglets" in the archaeological reports. The black juglet is a relatively common feature of the archaeological record of Iron Age II Palestine. These vessels seem to make their appearance in the tenth century B.C.E., in both northern and southern contexts, both east and west of the Jordan River, and remain in use until the termination of the Iron Age II in the early to mid-sixth century B.C.E. Thus the lifespan of the black juglet is approximately four hundred years in length, during which time the vessel underwent a number of morphological changes.

The black juglets are an interesting, and somewhat unique, class of Iron Age II pottery vessel. As the title suggests, a "black juglet" would naturally be a small jug that is black in color. In actuality, however, there are two criteria for classification of a vessel as a “black juglet”: color and/or a certain set of distinct morphological characteristics. Thus, certain vessels fall into the class of "black juglet" by virtue of both their black color and their morphological attributes, and others that are “black juglets” by either color or morphology. Put another way, there are three kinds of black juglets: 1) a juglet that is black in appearance and fits the morphological characteristics of a "black juglet"; 2) a juglet that is not black, but fits the morphological characteristics of a "black juglet"; and 3) a juglet that is black in appearance, but strays from the morphological characteristics of a "black juglet." In this study, juglets of all three varieties have been included in the assemblage.

In terms of coloration, the black juglets that are actually black are designated as such because they are typically made of clay that is gray or black in appearance after the vessel is fired. The vessels are also known by their surface treatment, which includes a coating of slip that is vertically burnished, and also fires to a dark gray or black color. The black juglets treated with slip and burnish are often referred to as "black burnished juglets" in the archaeological literature. The black juglets that are not black usually have a more earth-tone color—reddish-brown or brownish-yellow—after firing. They typically also include the same surface treatment of vertically burnished slip, which also fires to a red/reddish-brown or brownish-yellow hue, much like the clay itself.

The paragraphs above are from the introduction to Justin L. Kelly's, Masters Thesis at Jerusalem University College. This is the primary reference for Holy Land "Black Juglets."

The black juglets were used for perfumed oil. They are found both in stratified layers (homes) and in graves.