Did Early Muslim Traditions Influence the Prevalence of Green-Glazed Jars in the Near East?

What is it about?

This publication is about certain green-glazed jars that were manufactured in Iraq since the Parthian and Sasanian periods and up until the end of the Early Islamic period, roughly between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD. The sudden decline in the production of these jars which were very popular in the Near East has puzzled archeologists. In this paper, it is argued for the first time that certain Hadith (traditions about the Prophet Muhammad) may have caused this decline. According to these Hadith, the Prophet prohibited the use of green jars for the preparation of nabīdh (date-wine).

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Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash

Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Because for the first time, it is argued that Prophetic traditions about green jars may have influenced the decline of green jars in the Near East. This publication demonstrates how texts can help us understand archeological findings and vice versa.