Hi Dina,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Terracotta was a fairly ubiquitous material, in use throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe as well as the Near and Middle East. Additionally, small bowls of this shape and size were such utilitarian objects that they were used by cultures around the world.

The Wadi Aswad (not Asand) culture (8500-7500 BCE) was Neolithic and pre-pottery so this is unlikely to have been made as early as that. The community at Tell Aswad used stone bowls, plaster vessels and organic containers; fired terracotta pottery did not appear in the Levant until after 7000 BCE).

Roman pottery was almost always wheel-thrown and you'll see concentric turning lines inside or underneath. You might also find small inclusions (sand, mica or limestone) visible under magnification. Roman pottery also has a neatly-trimmed flat base.

The bottom of your bowl tells me it was a pinched or pulled bowl rather than turned, which is not indicative of Roman work. While the white accretions are indicative of lime or other long-term mineral exposure from burial, they don't look deeply embedded to me, which I would expect of Roman pottery.

Finally, it looks like the interior of this bowl was glazed, which was rare in Roman pottery but more indicative of later Mediterranean wares. It likely dates to the first Millenia CE and would be worth about $75 at auction.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

An antique pulled terracotta demi glazed small bowl
probably from the Mediterranean, First Millennium CE
with traces of glazing to the interior; encrustations throughout
3 inches high, 4 inches diameter
CONDITION: with encrustation and losses
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$50-100*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia