The Holy Land was the first region to enter the Bronze Age, which began with the rise of the Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer in the mid-4th millennium BC. The Bronze Age period covered an entire millennium. Pottery vessels dated to the Late Bronze Age have been widely excavated across the Holy Land, indicating the close association between terracotta vessels and the proto-urbanised life. During the Late Bronze Age, pottery bowls, with either sharp or gentle carination design, are believed to have imitated the early practices on metal wares. Most of the Bronze Age terracotta bowls from the Holy Land were made for a daily purpose. These vessels have become one of the cornerstones in the chronology of the Near East in the Early Bronze period. Numerous other types of vessels are known from this area.
