Theme:
1. Artefacts, Buildings & Ecofacts
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Interpreting Ceramic Technical Data: Challenges in Approaching and Deciphering Prehistoric Societies through Their Pottery Production
Content:
Ceramic technology has proven to be an excellent means of making communities and their traditions visible. Yet, literature on pottery technology mainly focuses on methodological aspects and study protocols that allow the collection of technical data on archaeological pottery. Interpretations regarding the social and cultural spheres are often based solely on stylistic and consumption aspects, completely leaving aside manufacturing processes.
Following this observation, this session aims to gather contributions on the prehistory of any geographic area that include a broader reflection on the challenges of interpreting pottery technology in social terms. Regional studies with a diachronic framework are particularly encouraged.
Therefore, we welcome contributions that offer:
(1) case studies at regional or supra-regional scales that focus on questions pertaining to broader interpretations: mobility-induced shifts, local evolution of traditions, technical transfers and cultural contacts, continuity of practice, etc.
(2) methodological reflections on interpreting ceramic technical data, answering questions such as: what is the “bare minimum” for technical pottery studies? At which point is the data insufficient for arriving at coherent interpretations? How can we collect, homogenize, and interpret uneven technical data, e.g., when working with a mix of published and newly produced data, with varied technical criteria, the study of different parts of the chaîne opératoire, and widely different analytical tools (from the simple macroscopic observation to the archaeometric analysis)? What is the future of pottery technology? What innovative ways could we develop to combine and interpret different datasets?
(3) theoretical reflections: what are the advantages and drawbacks of applying concepts stemming from other scientific fields to interpret technical data, such as (but not limited to) situated learning theory (e.g., communities, constellations, and genealogies of practice), or network theory (e.g., connectivity, mobility, and interaction).
Keywords:
Ceramic technology, Social interpretations, Regional studies, Prehistory
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Eve Derenne (Austria) 1
Co-organisers:
Roxane Dubois (Belgium) 2
Affiliations:
1. Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science, University of Vienna
2. Aegean Interdisciplinary Studies (AEGIS), UCLouvain
THIS SESSION CAN NOT BE SELECTED AT THIS MOMENT