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The pottery from Palmyra consists mostly of locally produced plain wares and cooking wares. Fine ware (in the form of African Red Slip Ware) was present also at the site, although in fewer quantities than one might expect for a center of trade. The amphoras from the site also existed in only small quantities. What amphoras there were predominantly were of local, Syrian or Parthian, production, with only a few examples from Italy, the Aegean, or Africa. The infrequency of amphora sherds may suggest that any goods being transported by amphora (wine, olive oil, etc.) merely passed through the city without being imported to the city itself, however those goods may have also been transported along different routes that did not pass through the city instead.
The fine ware at Palmyra is mostly African Red Slip Ware, the predominant form of fine ware in the Mediterranean as of the mid-second c. CE. These vessels were made using a red clay and coated in a red slip to create a glossy surface. African Red Slip Ware was produced in northern Africa but was exported all over the Mediterranean, and could feature decorative scenes made with stamps. While African Red Slip Ware was not found in Palmyra in any great quantities, some examples exist from the site.
Palmyra's local pottery workshops that produced more utilitarian wares for its population. Brittle Ware is a type of cooking ware that was produced in Syria from the Hellenistic to Islamic periods and was produced locally in Palmyra as early as the 2nd c. CE. Brittle Ware was made with red clay with ribbing often on the exterior of the vessel. As cooking ware, the forms produced in this fabric include pots, lids, jugs, casseroles, and bowls. A kiln site in the Western district of the city is evidence for local production of this ware.
A later type of ware that was produced at Palmyra was White Ware, named for the white slipped that coated the exterior and/or the interior of the vessels. This type of ware used a light-colored clay and functioned as a type of common ware (that is, a utilitarian type of ware) that was not used for cooking but rather for storage, serving, and other functions. White Ware was produced at a kiln site in the Southwest quarter of the city from the 6th-8th c. CE.
The pottery from Palmyra offers evidence for daily life as there is significant production of utilitarian wares at the site. From the ceramic evidence, the city had demand for local cooking wares as opposed to imported ones. Local production also suggests access to resources such as clay and fuel for kilns. Other evidence for pottery is evident in some of the funerary portrait - like this one - in which the subject holds various objects including vases.
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