Ceramics of the 'Serçe Limanı type' and Fatimid pottery production in Beirut

International audienceFatimid ceramics from Beirut and from the Serçe Limanı shipwreck (Turkey) were investigated by chemical analysis. Beirut samples were shown to be chemically similar to local reference material dated back to the Crusader period, thus confirming the hypothesis of a Fatimid pottery production in Beirut. This production included cooking wares and bowls of a type found in the Serçe Limanı shipwreck. Analyses of ceramics from the shipwreck support an origin in Beirut for some of them, while the origin of others has to be looked for elsewhere. The results suggest that the Serçe Limanı ship may have loaded part of its cargo in the harbour of Beirut. It would be consistent with the large quantity of glass found in the shipwreck, which is thought to be of Levantine origin