The Holy Land was the first region to enter the Bronze Age, which began with the rise of the Mesopotamian civilisation of Sumer in the mid-fourth millennium BC. The Bronze Age then went on to span an entire millennium. The presence of Canaanite vessels among the funerary offerings in the royal tombs of the First Dynasty of Egypt has revealed an important link between this period and the Early Bonze Age. These vessels have become a cornerstone in the chronology of the Near East in the Early Bronze period. Numerous other types of vessels are known from this area.
The amphoriskos was a vessel which characterised the Early Bronze Age period, both in Southern and Northern culture. It was similar to an amphora, but generally smaller in scale and with a wider mouth. It would have served a practical purpose, being used for the storage of liquids, but the painted decoration suggests that it served a decorative purpose too.
