It was produced after the earliest examples from the independent
phenomenon of the
Jōmon culture in
Japan and is predominantly found at archaeological sites in
Lebanon,
Israel southwest
Syria[3][4][5][6] and
Cyprus. [7] Some notable examples of dark faced burnished ware were found at
Tell Judaidah (and nearby Tell Dhahab) in
Amuq by
Robert Braidwood as well as at
Ras Shamra and
Tell Boueid.[8] Other finds have been made at
Yumuktepe in
Mersin,
Turkey where comparative studies were made defining different categories of ware that have been generally grouped as DFBW.[9] It is thought to have come as a development of
White Ware and takes its name from the often dark coloured choice of clays from which it is made. Vessels are often coarse, tempered with grit or sand, burnished to a shiny finish and made with a variety of
clays in different areas.[1] The grit or sand is thought to have made the vessels easier to fire and the burnishing made them less
permeable and suitable for heated liquid substances.[1] Later examples are usually finer and more carefully burnished and decorated.[10] Designs included rounded, inverted or straight sided bowls with plain rims, some with basic handles under the rims along with ring bases in the later pieces.[11] Decorations included incised or impressed chevrons or motifs with pattern burnishing appearing in later periods.[1] Other types of pottery were produced around the same time including coarse impressed ware, dark faced unburnished ware and washed impressed ware but these were less prevalent.[1]
DFBW has long been considered the forebear of the more polished examples such as
ancient Greek pottery.[8]
^Joanne Clarke. Insularity and identity in prehistoric Cyprus, in : Le néolithique de Chypre: actes du colloque international organisé par le Dé partement des antiquités de Chypre et l'École française d'Athènes, Nicosie, 17–19 mai 2001. École Française d’Athènes, Athens.
^Council for British Research in the Levant; British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem; British Institute at Amman for Archaeology and History (1994).
Levant. British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. Retrieved 9 April 2011.