Session: #1033

Content:

Think about it: your kitchen cupboards are likely full of vessels of different shapes, sizes, and materials. What are the functional, cultural, and technological reasons for this? Why do we drink wine from one type of glass and water from another? Why are tea and coffee cups different? Why do we prefer ceramic and glass to metal and plastic? How does a soup bowl really differ from a breakfast bowl? Why do we buy another mug with a funny slogan that we’ll never use? And do we sometimes use the ‘wrong’ vessel when no-one’s watching?

Parts of the ancient Mediterranean world also demonstrate large and varied vessel repertoires. In some sixth/fifth-century BCE Athenian contexts we find a vast range of vessels related just to wine drinking; in other contemporaneous contexts, however, a few basic types of vessel were sufficient. Archaeologists have traditionally considered the variety of material cultural forms from a practical perspective (e.g. the suitability of shape and material for specific tasks), as well as cost, aesthetics, status and durability. More recently, concepts such as tradition and innovation, the agency of craftspeople and consumers, fashion, and identity formation have also been considered. Whilst there has been research on standardization, however, the proliferation of vessel forms has received less attention. Why are some periods, places, and social groups characterized by a desire for many vessel types, while others have fewer and perhaps more traditional forms?

We invite contributions that reflect on both the uses and meanings of vessels from archaeological contexts, looking beyond the practical and specific explanations, and focusing on consumers’ choices and their cultural contexts. Our aim is to compare case studies from different periods and regions, and to explore future directions in research on some of the most common objects of the ancient –and modern– material record.

Session: #1033

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