One Man's Mede Is Another Man's Persian; One Man's Coconut Is Another Man's Grenade

Keall, Edward J.

doi:10.2307/1523192

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Known as Ghaliân in Persian, Hookah in Indian and Nârgîle in Turkish, the first water pipes had a body made of a coconut, and are still called madâʾah in Yemen from the Indian word for coconut. Keall thinks that the spheroconicals are the ceramic versions of the coconut (Keall 1993(Keall , 1993. This interpretation, although very attractive, falls down on three points.…”

Section: Water-pipesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sphero-conical Vessel

Pradines¹

2017

JIA

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Section: Water-pipesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sphero-conical Vessel

Pradines¹

2017

JIA

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“…The diversity in sphero-conical vessels—design, manufacture, shape and decoration; is found in all of the regions throughout the Middle East where sphero-conical vessels have been recovered. Examples of the diversity of these vessels are displayed in museum collections all over the world [ 4 , 6 , 7 ] and several ceramic typologies ( Table 1 ) have been developed to attempt to categorise that diversity [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 ]. Savage-Smith [ 1 ] has categorised these vessels into ten types; Stănică and Szmoniewski [ 4 ], into four groups with three types and numerous subtypes; Vezzoli [ 2 ] into three types; while Sharvit [ 8 ] has just two types ( Table 1 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The simple utilitarian uses based on their size, weight and shape include a plumb bob [ 1 ], a loom weight and an architectural feature [ 9 ]. If considered a vessel the proposed uses include liquid sprinkler [ 9 ], fire starter [ 10 , 11 ], fire blower [ 12 ], aeolipile [ 9 , 12 – 14 ], lamp [ 4 , 15 ], smoking pipe [ 7 , 16 ], alchemical vessel [ 7 , 13 , 16 , 17 ] or parts of a distillation apparatus [ 17 , 18 ]. From historical documents there is support for thick-walled vessels being used in warfare as grenades [ 9 , 12 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition of trace residues from the contents of 11th–12th century sphero-conical vessels from Jerusalem

et al. 2022

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The residues from the internal surface of four archaeological ceramic sherds, excavated from the Armenian Gardens, Jerusalem were analysed to characterise the contents of the original vessel. The sherds derive from four small, thick-walled, sphero-conical vessels recovered from a destruction layer, dating between the 11th and 12th century, Jerusalem. The residue has been analysed using light microscopy, biochemical characterisation, gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry. This analysis established the presence of various compounds including fatty acids and notable levels of mercury, sulphur, aluminium, potassium, magnesium, nitrates and phosphorous. The contents and probable functions of the four vessels were characterised from the residues on these sherds as different from each other, reflecting their different decoration, manufacture and ceramic typologies. One of these vessels contains residue that indicate the vessel held oils. The residue of the second vessel is consistent with either scented materials or medicinal contents, while a third probably contained medicinal material. The unique fourth sherd is from a stoneware sphero-conical vessel with very thick walls, no decoration and the residue supports the possibility it was used for the storage of chemicals or may have held the chemical ingredients for an explosive device, consistent with a medieval grenade. This residue analysis of Mamluk sphero-conical vessels provides insight into luxury items, medicines, technology and trade in medieval Jerusalem.

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“…Finally, we have to mention a suggestion of their use as parts of water-pipes (Keall 1992;1993). According to Edward J.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Edward J. Keall (1993, 283) "the enigmatic sphero-conical vessels [...] represent ceramic version of the coconut, and as such do reflect a practice in the Middle East of smoking in private, three centuries before the introduction of tobacco" (Keall 1993).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%