ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This being my first major work as sole author, the acknowledgements are often highly personal and all- encompassing. First, thanks to my grandmother, Catherine Barry, who sparked my interest in both archaeology and geology, and indeed in ceramic provenance. Another early influence was Barry Cunliffe (anyone else remember Cradle of England?), whose productivity has continued to be a model I try to emulate. My early interest was encouraged by my mother, even though she would rather I were an artist, and was tolerated by my father, who never minded what I did as long as I worked hard at it.
My early archaeology field experience, particularly the three years excavating in Southampton, provided what I still consider to be my most significant training in archaeology. In those days I benefited from association with (in order of appearrance) Phil Holdsworth, Patrick Blackman, "Mort" Morton, Phil Andrews, Steven Rollo-Smith, Bob "twelve- pints" Thompson, and others.
Quite soon after throwing away that career and moving to Canada, I was given a job by Sid Lumbers in the Geology Department of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). This provided the opportunity to develop my petrographic skills so that eventually I could use them to return to archaeological research.
My involvement in Islamic pottery is due to Ed Keall, who first came to me with a handful of sherds from the Yemen, and then gave me a job in the West Asian Department of the ROM. If there are any who resent the results of my work, they may lay it all at his door. Ed has continued to encourage my ongoing research, and, I believe, take secret delight in the discomfiture it has given some of his colleagues. Encouragement also came from Lisa Golombek. Although her principle concern has lain in the area of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century pottery, she has also given me the benefit of her knowledge as an Islamic art historian. Advice and encouragement have also been received from my other colleagues at the ROM, including T. Cuyler Young Jr., Krzysztof Ciuk, and Bill Pratt. Nola Johnson has regularly provided me with the fruits of her meticulous bibliographic study. Kay Sunahara has allowed me to take advantage of her superior grasp of theoretical relevance. Lisa Cooper has provided valuable input from her perspective as a Near Eastern ceramicist and archaeologist Ingrid Hehmeyer provided invaluable aid in my ambitions to be correct. Also in the ROM I owe further gratitude to the staff of the library, particularly for Champa Ramjass' interlibrary loans; and to everyone in photography, especially Brian Boyle. Final thanks go to everyone at ROM publications, particularly the editor, Andrea Gallagher Ellis, who so meticulously pored over this volume: the writings of someone with an unfortunate combination of the grammatical training of an English Comprehensive School, and the vocabulary and jargon of an Oxford-trained scientist. While on the subject of publishers, I would also like to acknowledge the help and encouragement of Ahmad Jabbari and everyone at Mazda.
In Oxford I received help from a number of people at the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA). Above all, thanks are due to my supervisor, Mike Tite. His earlier work on the technology of ceramics, including Islamic pottery, provided the methodology that was used in this study. His intense interest in the technological problems was an encouragement throughout this study. The sometimes frank debates over aspects of ceramic technology often gave the impression that this was something truly worthwhile. Other staff at RLAHA that have provided aid include Chris Doherty, whose challenging and exacting opinions have been welcomed, no matter how it appeared at the time. Others who have rendered aid or support include Chris Salter, Robert Hedges, and Julian Henderson. Among the students, I have gained from the input and presence of Tamsin O'Connell, Natasha Whitestone, Alexander Smith, Steven Stokes, Ezra Marcus, and yes, even Murray Eiland III. During my post- doctoral sojourn there, I took solace from Andrew Shortland and Ioanna Kakoulli.
From the Islamic side at Oxford, James Allan in particular has provided information, advice, comments on chapters, and access to his collection. Jeremy Johns and Julian Raby have also provided advice and help. Other people at Oxford who have provided advice and encouragement include Barry Cunliffe, Roger Moorey, and Michael Roaf. Also in the Oxford camp I would like to extend my thanks to all at Wolfson College.
Around the world others have provided advice, facilitated access to collections, supplied samples pertinent to this study, or just helped me think a bit. In alphabetical order these include Chahryar Adil, Francesca al-Ahmara, Esin Atil, Andrea Becker, Marthe Bernus-Taylor, C. E. Bosworth, Bennet Bronson, Duncan Brown, Sheila Canby, John Carswell, Yolande Crowe, Peter Denholm, Gusein Dhibirov, Michel Fortin, "Mac" Gibson, Julia Gonnella, Krzysztof Grzymski, Renata Holod, John Hurst, Lyn Jenkins, "Mini" Joel, Kay Kohlmeyer, Maan Madina, Michael Meineke, Andrew Middleton, Denys Pringle, Michael Rogers, Noha Sadek, George Scanlon, Jean Soustiel, Ray Tindal, Rosalind Wade-Haddon, Dan Walker, David Whitehouse, and Don Whitcomb.
I would like especially to thank Ian Freestone. Ian was very encouraging when I sent him my first manuscripts reporting my earliest research in ceramic petrology, and he spent a great deal of time going over those early manuscripts, providing detailed comment and advice. During my thesis research I took the opportunity to discuss with Ian a number of phenomena observed with the SEM, as did Mike Tite, my supervisor. Ian was one of my examiners at Oxford, and there contributed greatly by pointing out some shrieking omissions, and suggesting additions and corrections for this eventual publication. For his pains I completely forgot to mention him in the acknowledgements of the thesis.
Research on Iraqi wares was aided by a travel grant from the British School In Iraq, while the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada provided funds for unrelated studies, during which I also picked up samples for this study. A doctoral fellowship was offered by SSHRCC for the doctoral research, and the present book was brought into final shape while undertaking a SSHRCC post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford. The incorporation of the pottery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art was made possible by the granting of a fellowship by the Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to thank my wife, Lorraine Underell, who put up with it all, and our daughter, Catherine Emily, who has now put it all in context.
CONVENTIONS
Spellings of place and personal names follow the transliteration system of the Encyclopaedia of Islam wherever possible, except that because of editorial concerns no diacriticals other than the ‘ayn and hamza are provided; the Arabic character jim is rendered as a "J" and the kaf is rendered as a "Q." Dynastic and rulers, names are similarly adapted from Bosworth (1996). Place names often lack the definitive article. Some names necessarily are reported as provided by another source, such as the excavator, or use the traditional name or transliteration where this is expected even if self-evidently erroneous, for example, in reference to ancient sites.
All dates given are in the common or Christian era or AD, although at times when referring to historical events dates After Hijra may be provided in brackets after the AD date. All pottery figures are in 1:3 scale, unless otherwise specified. Pottery profiles taken from previous publications by others are shown without stippling within the profile. Sketch micrographs included in some pottery figures are meant to give a rough visual impression of a petrofabric. Each of these micrograph figures has been compromised by the aim of incorporating a typical area of the section, while including all types of inclusion. Hence, inclusions that are uncommon although diagnostic may appear more common than they actually are.
On the terms "medieval" and "middle east":
Providing labels for things is a tedious business, but it is necessary if people are to understand what one is talking about. In the past, the pottery covered in this volume has often been referred to as "Islamic" pottery. The inaccuracy of this statement led to some referring to the pottery as material from the "Islamic world." This rather reduces the complexity and tolerance of the region at this time to a misleading monolith, and in some cases the pottery is not found in the Islamic world at all (for instance on Crusader-occupied sites, in Christian Europe itself, or non-Muslim Asia and Africa). On the whole it is perhaps better to avoid the religious association entirely, and use a simple chronological label. The term "medieval" has been extended from its early assignation to referring specifically to Europe to include the "Islamic world," and there is even a society dedicated to its study (the Middle East Medievalists). As an anthropologist I find this quite acceptable. Although in some minds "medieval" has associations of castles and knights, as an "age of the stirrup" it can be extended across most of the old world, where similar social institutions developed to deal with the same stimuli. Although in the Islamic world this was a period of great cultural and scientific developments, rather than the contrasting situation in Europe, it seems a valid extension. In contrast the term "middle east" is used only because of popular association rather than because it has any real meaning.
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