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Fat-bellied jars, such as the four largest vessels in the photo, were used by Philistines for fermenting and storing wine. As a port and trading center, Ashkelon was visited by ships from various places in the eastern Mediterranean, such as Phoenicia to the north: Cargo-laden ships from Sidon and Tyre arrived in Ashkelon with goods stored in ceramic jars—like the curving tapered jar at far right and the amphora in front of it. At lower left is an example of the distinctive Philistine Red-Slipped Ware. The inverted bowl combines the form of Assyrian-style pottery (characterized by a sharp shoulder and flaring rim) with the decoration of Phoenician Fine Ware (characterized by a burnished red slip and a reserve pattern resembling so-called Samaria Ware).