Experimental Archaeology Pottery

The method for appraisal of the degree of natural sand inclusions in raw material for the pottery paste is discussed in the paper. Selection of clay according to the amount of natural sand in it reflects the various cultural traditions in the ancient pottery production. That is why it is very important to test the amount of the sand in clay. The research of the amount of fine clay particles and the grain composition of natural mineral inclusions (first of all – sand) was made by 10 various clays. In all cases the author found out the proportion of the fine clay and the sand inclusions of different size. The received data are compared with the results of microscopic analysis of the same fired clays.
The author tries to propose the criterion for the division of natural fired clays according to the amount of natural sand inclusions of different size into high-sand, average-sand and low-sand clays. Nevertheless the author comes to the conclusion that the described in the paper method of grain composition is insufficient for the exact analysis. Thus, it is difficult to consider the received conclusions as ultimate result.

Führer und Schriften des LVR-Freilichtmuseums Kommern –
Rheinisches Landesmuseum für Volkskunde Nr. 76,
Jülicher Forschungen, Bd. 15

Die neuzeitlichen Töpferzentren zwischen Rhein und Maas stehen erst am Anfang einer systematischen Untersuchung. Weitgehend unbekannt waren bislang die in Mundart Döppesbäcker genannten Töpfer im Mittleren Rurtal (Kreis Düren). Das aus den benachbarten Ortschaften Glimbach, Gevenich und Körrenzig bestehende Töpferzentrum produzierte über Jahrhunderte unter anderem bleiglasierte und bemalte Irdenwaren. Mehr als 80 namentlich genannte Töpfer und einzelne Töpferinnen konnten für die drei Ortschaften für das 17. bis 20. Jahrhundert ermittelt werden. Tausende Fragmente und über 100 Gefäße wurden begutachtet, beschrieben, datiert und in ihrer Funktion eingeordnet. Ihre Herstellungstechnik wurde in einem praktischen Versuch nachvollzogen und dokumentiert. Im Rahmen eines interdisziplinären Projektes gelang es, die Perspektive nicht nur auf die Töpfertradition am Niederrhein und darüber hinaus auszuweiten, sondern auch das Potenzial einer breiten methodischen Herangehensweise aufzuzeigen. So konnte erstmals ein Überblick über die Geologie und Geochemie der Töpfertone in der Niederrheinischen Bucht gewonnen werden. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen, mit Hilfe von Spurenelementmustern der Keramik kulturgeschichtliche Interpretationen abzuleiten und Tonlagerstätten zuzuordnen, wurden über eine vergleichende Röntgenfluoreszenz- und Neutronenaktivierungsanalyse ausgetestet und verifiziert.

Co-Direction of the documentary-film "In Their Hands - Reshaping pottery of the European Bronze Age"

With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union
CREATIVE EUROPE

In the framework of the Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today
CRAFTER PROYECT

Produced by
ASOME - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Original idea:
Roberto Risch

Directed by
Marcello Peres and Nicola Tagliabue

In collaboration with:
Thomas Claus
Csaba Balogh
Vladan Caricic Tzar

In co-production with:
Asociación de Amigos del Yacimiento Arqueológico de La Bastida
Museo Ciudad de Mula
Zavičajni Muzej Paraćin
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia BTK Régészeti Intézet
Déri Múzeum, Debrecen
Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale)

CHAPTER 1 - EL ARGAR
Country: Spain

Direction: Marcello Peres and Nicola Tagliabue
Production: Heracles Archaeology
Photography:  Nicola Tagliabue
Screenplay: Carlos Velasco Felipe, Marcello Peres
Camera: Nicola Tagliabue
Post-Production: Nicola Tagliabue
Audio: Marcello Peres
Clay Artist: Pedro Navarro Díaz
Potter Assistants: Carlos Velasco Felipe, Miguel Valério
Experts: Eva Celdrán Beltrán, Selina Delgado Raack, María Inés Fregeiro,
David Gómez Gras, Vicente Lull, Rafael Micó, Claudia Molero Alonso,
Camila Oliart, Cristina Rihuete Herrada, Roberto Risch, Carlos Velasco Felipe

CHAPTER 2 - ÚNĚTICE
Country: Germany

Direction: Thomas Claus
Production: Bettina Stoll-Tucker
Camera: Felix Greif
Assistant: Simon Hückstett
Post-Production: Christian Grewe
Clay Artist: Beatrix Weißflog
Experts: Ralf Schwarz, Sven Koch, Bettina Stoll-Tucker

CHAPTER 3 - FÜZESABONY
Country: Hungary

Direction: Csaba Balogh
Production: Csaba Balogh
Camera: Zoltán Faur, Ákos Jurás, Csaba Balogh
Post-Production: Ákos Jurás
Assistant 1: Balázs Wieszner
Assistant 2: József Csörgő
Clay Artist: László Gucsi
Potter Assistant: Balázs Péter Horváth
Experts: Vajk Szeverényi, , Anna Priskin, János Dani, Ágnes Király, Gabriella Kulcsár, Viktória Kiss

CHAPTER 4 - VATIN
Country: Serbia

Direction: Vladan Caricic Tzar
Production: Vladan Caricic Tzar
Screenplay: Vesna Vuckovic and Vladan Caricic Tzar
Director of photography: Bojan Rakic
Second camera: Darko Stetin
Camera assistant: Mikailo Tomic
Direction assistant: Luka Predja
Post-Production: Branislav Godic
Music: Vladimir Milacic
Clay Artist: Dejan Jovanovic
Experts: Vesna Vuckovic, Vojislav Filipovic, Branislav Stojanovic, Jovan Mitrovic

INTRODUCTION:
Country: Spain

Clay modelling: Pedro Navarro Díaz
Temper crushing: Francisco Romera Zamora
Pottery burnishing: Miguel Valério
Basketry: Pedro Ortiz Mármol
Make-up: Eva Celdrán Beltrán

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id-NQVBEmqE
Full film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0B1IkOIUP4

Günümüz ile geçmiş arasında bağlantı kurarak, eski çağlarda var olan toplulukların yaşayış biçimleri hakkında bilgi edinmemizi sağlayan arkeoloji, aynı zamanda kazılarda bulunan eserlerin yorumlanması ve korunmasına da hizmet etmektedir. Yaşadığımız coğrafyadaki kültür çeşitliliği sadece bu topraklarda yaşayan insanların değil tüm insanlığın ortak kültür mirasıdır. Arkeoloji biliminin bir başka misyonu da söz konusu bu kültürel mirasın sahiplenilmesini sağlayarak, gelecek kuşaklara doğru ve sağlıklı biçimde aktarmaktır. Kültürel mirasına sahip çıkan, bulunduğu coğrafyadaki çeşitliliğin değerini içinde bulunduğu doğa ile algılayan nesillerin yetişmesi, kültürel mirasını koruyan ve geliştiren bir bilince sahip kuşakların oluşmasına da olanak sağlamaktadır. Yaşadığımız coğrafyanın arkeolojik zenginliğine karşın, topluma yönelik çalışmalar yetersiz olmakla birlikte son senelerde toplum için arkeoloji eğitimi konusunda kazı ve üniversitelerin yürüttüğü eğitim projeleri hazırlanmış ve konu ile ilgili ilerleme kaydedilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Deneysel Arkeoloji ve Uygulama Merkezi çatısı altında “Çocuklar İçin Arkeoloji Atölyesi” faaliyetleri yürütülmekte, bu proje etkinlikleri ile projeye katılan çocukların, tarihi olguları daha iyi kavramaları, kültür mirasını koruma bilincinin artması ve arkeolojik kazı çalışmaları hakkında bilgi edinmeleri sağlanmaktadır. Aynı zamanda, arkeologların çalışma şartlarını deneyimleyerek öğrenen çocuklar, görev ve sorumluluk gibi kavramları da ekip çalışmasının içerisinde tecrübe etme olanağı bulmaktadırlar. Bu proje ile, çocukların, görerek, hissederek, algılayarak ve yaparak öğrenme yöntemiyle, kültürel mirasa karşı duyarlılıklarının gelişmesi, eğitimin ve bilimin gücünü kavraması, edindikleri bilgileri yakın çevreleriyle paylaşması ve kazanımlarının kalıcı davranış değişikliklerine dönüştürmesi hedeflenmektedir. Bu çalışma, aktif uygulama olanağı bulunan “Çocuklar İçin Arkeoloji Atölyesi” eğitimleri ile çocuklardaki olumlu geri bildirim ve kazançların ne olduklarını ayrıca kültürel miras, arkeoloji bilinci kazandırma ve sosyal sorumluluk alanlarında çocuklar için yapılabilecekleri anlatmaktadır. Ülkemizde bu tür çalışmaların yetersiz olması sebebiyle arkeoloji literatüründe referans alınabilecek yayın sayısının da az hatta neredeyse hiç olmaması, bu çalışmanın, ileride bu tür bir projeyi hayata geçirmek isteyen bilim insanlarına katkı sağlayacağını ümit etmekteyiz

First published in 1991.
The article is devoted to analysis of clay vessels “covers”, i. e. the curved lines of vessel shapes. Different functional parts are distinguished in a vessel structure. If points that mark the functional parts’ borders are sequentially connected with straight lines we will get the vessel’s “skeleton” which represents a set of trapezoids, rectangles, and triangle. Convex and concave curves rest against the skeleton’s lines and form specific contour of a vessel. Such lines are called “covers”. Alongside with skeletons covers are sources of specific information on potters’ labor skills employed in the process of vessel forms creation. The author suggests an original procedure of vessel form covers study, extent of these covers symmetry or asymmetry and degree of their maturity. Along with that, the author on the basis of a great number of observational data articulates “virtually straight line” notion in potters’ perceptions. All covers of contour line that, due to their flexion, go beyond a virtually straight line are considered to be curves. Depending on extent of their flexion, covers may be unformed, partly formed and fully formed. In addition, depending on a potter’s length of professional experience, covers of vessels manufactured by a potter may be unsteady, partially steady and steady states.
In result of application of this procedure of vessel shapes analysis to a great ethnographic and archeological material the author has managed to find out that unsteady state of skills required for making forms is peculiar mainly to potters of a young generation, partially steady state of such skills is peculiar to potters of middle generation and the steady state is peculiar to potters of senior generation. Analysis of the Chernyakhov and the Zarubinets cultures allowed the author to conclude that earthenware from burial ground Voronino (the burial ground belongs to Zarubinets Culture) had been manufactured predominantly by potters of senior or middle generations while vessels from burial ground Oselivka, Ukraine (this burial ground belongs to Chernyakhov culture), were made by potters of young and middle generations.

Pottery technology is a complex social phenomenon and it reflects complex social behavior, so possibilities of its reconstruction can be very limited. However, preliminary results of this research show that experiments have a very important role in the reconstruction of temper material preparation process, in the reconstruction of firing strategy and in the interpretation of the archaeological record.

During the Early Bronze Age III in Anatolia, potters slowly shifted their ceramic forming techniques from hand-made to wheel-made. This change can also be seen across the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East. Since 1989 archaeologists have been increasingly more interested in why this change occurred. To shed light on this research question, archaeologists have employed experimental archaeology, as well as x-radiographic and petrographic studies. This afternoon-long workshop will discuss how experimental archaeology can be utilized to examine ceramics in the past and even help identify different potting technologies in the archaeological record. Following the lecture, workshop participants will be invited to experiment with these technologies, particularly the pottery mold that was utilized at Seyitömer Höyük.

Freshwater reservoir offsets (FROs) occur when AMS dates on charred, encrusted food residues on pottery predate a pot's chronological context because of the presence of ancient carbon from aquatic resources such as fish. Research over the past two decades has demonstrated that FROs vary widely within and between water bodies and between fish in those water bodies. Lipid analyses have identified aquatic biomarkers that can be extracted from cooking residues as potential evidence for FROs. However, lacking has been efforts to determine empirically how much fish with FROs needs to be cooked in a pot with other resources to result in significant FRO on encrusted cooking residue and what percentage of fish C in a residue is needed to result in the recovery of aquatic biomarkers. Here we provide preliminary assessments of both issues. Our results indicate that in historically-contingent, high alkalinity environments <20% C from fish may result in a statistically significant FRO, but that biomarkers for aquatic resources may be present in the absence of a significant FRO.

La sesión llamada "Experimentación en Arqueología" del JIA 2009 buscó reunir trabajos que emplearan específicamente a la experimentación como vía prioritaria para el conocimiento en arqueología. Esto se decidió así porque es un hecho que buena parte del trabajo que reali­z.amos en arqueología se fundamenta en conocimiento técnico. En definitiva, en la sesión se planteaba una discusión a través de nuevas perspectivas e investigaciones. Debido a que la experimentación y las nuevas técnicas aplicadas a la arqueología son temas transversales, que se pueden aplicar a materiales y problemáticas que conciernen a diferentes periodos, decidimos que esta sesión se abriese a cualquier época estudiada por la arqueología (prehistórica/histórica). Creemos que logramos este último oqjetivo, ya que las comunicaciones recibidas y aceptadas abarcaron diferentes periodos y problemáticas heterogéneas.