Nderit Ware

First discovered at Stable's Drift on the Nderit River, south of Lake Nakuru in the central Rift Valley of Kenya, Nderit ware is a widespread variety of pottery which may predate the florescence of the Pastoral Neolithic in the area. It is one of several distinct pottery wares associated with the Pastoral Neolithic in Kenya and northern Tanzania. It is characterized by finely executed, wedge-shaped decoration, apparently made by means of repeated impressions of a pointed object such as obsidian; it is also often deeply scored on the inside surface of the vessel. In northern Kenya, the pottery occurs at least as early as the 3rd millennium BC. Further to the south, Nderit ware only occurs with other pottery traditions.

First discovered at Stable’s Drift on the Nderit River, south of Lake Nakuru in the central Rift Valley of Kenya, Nderit ware is a widespread but poorly understood variety of pottery which may pre-date the main florescence of the Pastoral Neolithic in southern Kenya. It is characterized by finely executed decoration, apparently made by means of repeated impressions of a pointed object such as an obsidian spall; it is also often deeply scored on the interior surface of the vessel. In northern Kenya, apparently related pottery occurs at least as early as the 3rd millennium be. The pottery associated with the early pastoral sites at Ileret may also belong to this tradition. Further to the south, no occurrences are known which consist only of definite Nderit ware without admixture with pottery attributed to other traditions.