But it must be
remembered that stone was used long into the 'Bronze' Age, and
contemporaneously with copper. There is no sudden break between the
two periods. Fragments of shell and mother-of-pearl, often with
incised designs, are very characteristic of the earliest period.
Coins are of late date; a tell with coins on it is certain to contain
buildings as late as the fourth or third century B.C. (though it may
also contain far older buildings as well). One of the most useful
criteria of age is: Bricks. The form of the brick is a very good
guide to date. The Babylonians used both kiln-baked and crude bricks.
The oldest type, whether baked or crude, is plano-convex in form, and
uninscribed. The mortar is bitumen. Later on rectangular bricks,
often square, made in moulds, were introduced. These usually bore the
name of the royal builder. Later on bricks became generally oblong
and much like our own. In the sixth century the square shape was
revived. Both shapes were in use at the Nebuchadnezzar period. Glazed
bricks were then common. Under the Persians mortar took the place of
bitumen. Under the Parthians and Sassanians, bricks were yellow,
oblong, small, and very hard. Details will be found below, The names
of various excavated sites are given in brackets as the 'classical'
sources of information on certain points, and as the places from
which type-antiquities have come to our Museums.
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