The 'Cup-and-Saucer' Vessel: Function, Chronology, Distribution and Symbolism

Many scholars have discussed the cup-and-saucer vessel, its function and source. The vessel was most common during the Late Bronze Age II to the Iron Age I, although it appears earlier and later as well. This paper discusses the chaine operatoire of C&S production, when these vessels were used, their geographic and contextual distribution, and their likely function, in an effort to gain a better understanding of this type of vessel. It is suggested here that C&S was cultic in nature, used both for light and for the spread of scents. While the vessel and the practice it was used for were common in the lowlands, C&S does not appear in the Iron I highlands. We suggest that this was due to cultural preferences the shunning not just of the form, but also of the cultic practice and the beliefs with which the vessels had connotations in the lowlands.