Carmen Ting

This study investigates the Protoclassic ceramic production at Nakum, Guatemala, using it as a proxy to explore the nature of the transition from the Preclassic to Classic period (100/50 BC-AD 300/350) in Central Maya lowlands. Petrographic analysis reveals that household specialisation existed in the local production of slipped serving and utilitarian wares at Nakum. The recovery of locally made polychrome vessels further indicates that Nakum might have participated in a new network of cultural interactions and trade, enabling the community to sustain stable growth at a time when many major Preclassic sites declined.

This paper challenges the conventional characterisation of glazed ware productions in the eastern Mediterranean, especially the ones which did not feature the use of opaque or tin-glazed technology, as technologically stagnant and unsusceptible to broader socioeconomic developments from the late medieval period onwards. Focusing on the Cypriot example, we devise a new approach that combines scientific analyses (thin-section petrography and SEM-EDS) and a full consideration of the chaîne opératoire in context to highlight the changes in technology and craft organisation of glazed ware productions concentrating in the Paphos, Famagusta and Lapithos region during the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries CE. Our results indicate that the Paphos production was short-lived, lasting from the establishment of Frankish rule in Cyprus in the thirteenth century to the aftermath of the fall of the Crusader campaigns in the fourteenth century. However, glazed ware production continued in Famagusta and Lapithos from the late thirteenth/fourteenth centuries through to the seventeenth century, using technical practices that were evidently different from the Paphos production. It is possible that these productions were set up to serve the new, local demands deriving from an intensification of commercial activities on the island. Further changes occurred to the technical practices of the Famagusta and Lapithos productions around the 16th/17th centuries, coinciding with the displacement of populations and socio-political organisation brought by the Ottoman rule.

Recent research carried out at the Maya site of Nakum, located in northeastern Guatemala, has brought about the discovery of a large collection of ceramic artefacts. This substantial assemblage, apart from monochrome ceramics, includes fragments of polychrome vessels that are decorated with elaborate iconographic scenes and painted hieroglyphic texts. Most of them date to the Late Classic period (ca. a.d. 600-800), which represents the peak of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. The style of these ceramics, their iconography and accompanying glyphic texts, supplemented in many cases by mineralogical and physicochemical analyses of the ceramic samples, indicate that Nakum was part of a broad and complex network of political and economic interactions between various sites and polities of the southern Maya lowlands in the Classic period. During the first part of the Late Classic period, Nakum seems to maintain close relations with Naranjo, probably serving as its vassal at least from the reign of its renowned king Aj Wosal. After the victory of Tikal over Naranjo in the first part of the eighth century, Nakum shows closer cultural and political connections with Tikal. Nevertheless, towards the end of the Classic era, when we observe the profound collapse of lowland Maya civilization, Nakum elites gain political independence from their former overlords.

This study investigates how the technology of Coptic Glazed Ware (CGW)-which is one of the earliest examples of Islamic glazed pottery-was developed, allowing for an insight into the mechanisms that contributed to the making of early Islamic material culture. The range of technologies of 20 CGW samples recovered from different sites in Israel was reconstructed, based on the characterisations by thin-section petrography, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive spectrometry. Our results show that the samples were originated from Aswan, Egypt. The procurement of kaolinitic clay from local deposits to form the ceramic body and slip, as well as the preference of painting as the principal mode of decoration, represents a continuation of the local fine ware tradition (Egyptian red and white slip ware and Coptic painted ware). The use of lead glaze was more akin to the Byzantine glaze technology. The CGW technology is further distinguished by the use of a diverse range of colourants and how the coloured glazes were prepared. Although individual elements of the CGW technology display influences from preceding and contemporaneous pottery technologies, it was not until the production of CGW that all these elements were combined together for the first time, highlighting the innovative character of the CGW technology. We argue that such innovation was born out of a strong local fine ware tradition that was embedded in the landscape of highly specialized craft production, while stimulating by a desire to establish new identities and new material representations by the Arab-Muslim newcomers.

This study presents the first characterisation of the early glaze technology that emerged in Cyprus during the 13th century CE, with the glazed ware assemblage recovered from the theatre site at Nea Paphos as the main focus. By framing the results of the technological study using SEM-EDS and thin-section petrography within the historical context, we are able to establish the link between local production and broader technological and socio-historical developments. The early glaze technology in Cyprus appears to have followed the established traditions characteristic of the eastern Mediterranean region during the late medieval period. This is reflected in the use of high lead glaze, the addition of iron and copper oxide as colourants, and the use of painting and sgraffito as principal decorative techniques. Although the introduction of glaze production in Cyprus coincided with the time when the island fell under the Frankish rule, there is no evidence indicating that the Frankish rulers directly controlled the production or the Franks were involved in the actual production process. However, we argue that the establishment of the Frankish influence had indirectly stimulated the beginning of glazed ware production in Cyprus by facilitating the movement of labour and creating the market and demand required for such production through its link to the Crusaders' campaigns in the wider Levantine region.

Jerash in northern Jordan was, despite a focus on its classical heritage, also active in the Middle Islamic period, but little is known about actual developments during this period. This study represents the first study on the Middle Islamic glazed pottery from the site using scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and thin-section petrogra-phy. The results show that two production traditions existed, each with different provenances. The local production is characterized by a non-calcareous ceramic body and the use of a high-lead glaze coloured with iron and copper oxides, whereas the turquoise-glazed samples, likely imported from Mesopotamia, have a calcareous ceramic body and alkali or alkali-lead glaze.

Glaze production is considered as a technological innovation reflecting the interactions among various groups that represented the East and West in medieval and post-medieval Mediterranean (c. AD 700 – 1750). As such, plenty of studies have been conducted on characterising the chemical and physical properties, and the fabrication techniques of medieval and post-medieval glazes drawing examples from the eastern and western Mediterranean. However, very few attempts have been made to compare and establish the link between the development of glaze production technology across both sides of the Mediterranean, even though these two regions experienced parallel socio-political transformations during this time period. In an attempt to bridge this gap in the existing research framework, this session aims at addressing the following themes: (1) to explore the local patterns of glaze production technology and its implications for the broader historical developments; (2) to map the spatial and temporal trends in glaze production technology across both sides of the Mediterranean; and ultimately, (3) to delineate the processes and means through which technological knowledge and practice in glaze production was transmitted. We welcome papers with focus on using interdisciplinary approaches in the study of glaze production technology in the medieval and post-medieval Mediterranean. We are particularly interested in papers that focus on the interpretation of compositional and technological data using anthropological theories (e.g. cultural transmission theory and network theory), and the application of new analytical techniques in characterising different aspects of glaze production.

A B S T R A C T This study sought to investigate the extent and processes through which indigenous technologies were passed on in the production of indigenous pottery in the Greater Antilles, the Caribbean, during the early colonial period in the late 15th and early 16th centuries AD. We examined a selection of black wares and red wares recovered from an early colonial archaeological site of Pueblo Viejo de Cotuí, Dominican Republic. We devised an integrated approach, which combined anthropological theory of cultural transmission and archaeological science. Thin-section petrography was used to characterise five main aspects of the production of the ceramic assemblage, including raw materials selection, paste preparation, forming, surface finish, and firing methods. We then compared the results with the analyses we had previously conducted on the production of pre-colonial Meillacoid and Chicoid ceramics, which allowed us to delineate the extent and processes of technology transmission. Our findings reveal that indigenous technologies were neither fully replicated nor discontinued in the production of black wares and red wares at Cotuí during the early colonial period. Instead, the producers of both black wares and red wares continued to use certain aspects of indigenous technologies, but each with varying extents. The black wares largely followed the local indigenous ways as expressed in the selection of local raw materials, low level of standardisation in paste preparation, the use of coiling and low firing temperatures. As for the red wares, it is certain that their production continued with the use of local raw materials and low firing temperatures, whereas it is possible that the use of grog temper and red slips also represents the transmission of indigenous technologies that were linked to roots other than the Meillac and Chican ceramics.

A B S T R A C T This paper seeks to contribute to the growing knowledge of iron production in ancient Sudan by examining the technology and craft organisation involved in the production of technical ceramics, which were integral to the iron smelting process. The focus of this study are the technical ceramics including tuyères, furnace linings, and furnace bricks, recovered from various slag heaps located at the archaeological sites of the Royal City of Meroe and the Meroitic town site of Hamadab. We used macroscopic examination and thin-section petrography to identify the source of raw materials and methods used in preparing the raw materials, to characterise the level of craft specialisation, and to infer the broader socio-political developments that might have influenced how the production of technical ceramics was organised. The resulting data reveal that changes occurred within the production of technical ceramics throughout different periods of Kushite history (traditionally divided into Napatan and Meroitic) and during the post-Meroitic period, and we argue that the observed changes might have been related to the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Kush. The production of technical ceramics was marked by clear distinction in raw materials and paste preparation methods used for different types of technical ceramics, and a high degree of compositional and technological homogeneity within each type of technical ceramic during the Napatan and earlier Meroitic periods, coinciding with the time when Kush rose to and was at the height of its power. The production of technical ceramics appears to have exhibited more diversity in terms of the raw materials and paste preparation methods and lower degree of homogeneity during the later and post-Meroitic periods when the economic and political influence and power of the Kingdom of Kush is described as declining and ultimately ceasing to exist. Perhaps the most drastic change in the production of technical ceramics took place in the post-Meroitic period, which was characterised by lower level of specialisation, as well as the possibility of using a different technological approach to iron smelting.

Technological analyses by visual examination, thin-section petrography, INAA and SEM-EDS of an assemblage of elite serving vessels from the site of Altun Ha, Belize, provide important data on technology and organization of production. According to the manner in which they were decorated, these vessels are referred to in the literature as 'molded-carved', but prior research has also shown that they share a distinctive iconographic program. Evidence so far indicates that they constitute a ceramic tradition that is reflective of social and political changes that characterized the Terminal Classic period in the Maya lowlands. The results of the technological analyses described here combined with prior research on contexts, iconography and glyphic texts suggest that alterations in political and social systems during the Terminal Classic stimulated changes not only in the type of elite pottery being produced but also in the manufacturing technology and concomitantly in the organization of production.

This paper examines the production and exchange of a particular type of ceramic vase designated ‘Ahk'utu' moulded-carved’, by using thin-section petrography, INAA, and SEM-EDS. These vases were produced and circulated in the eastern Maya lowlands during a transitional period known as ‘Terminal Classic’, ca. A.D. 800–950. Significant changes, generally referred to as the Classic Maya Collapse, occurred in the socio-political order in the Maya lowlands at this time, although the pace and events leading to such changes remain poorly understood. By studying a selection of 62 Ahk'utu' moulded-carved vases from various sites across Belize, we seek to offer a new perspective on the nature of this important transitional period. Our findings reveal that two main ceramic traditions – one employing calcite and the other volcanic ash temper – are represented by the vases. These traditions guided the selection of raw materials, surface finish, and firing methods. Vases of the calcite tradition were mostly used at or around the sites where they were produced, whereas those of the volcanic ash tradition appear to have been circulated over a wider region. The co-existence of multiple production groups and distribution spheres of the Ahk'utu' vases, along with their style and decoration, is interpreted as indicating a proliferation of an ascending social segment and greater flexibility and fluidity in how the social hierarchy and political structure were maintained in the eastern Maya lowlands from the 9th century and onwards.

This paper offers an insight into the characteristics of local pottery production and exchange at Artaxata, modern Armenia, from the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, drawing from stratigraphic, typological and technological evidence. The pottery assemblage under study derives from the Armenian-German Artaxata Project, a collaboration between the Armenian Academy of Sciences and University of Münster since 2018. The excavation of various structures of Hill XIII and its adjacent plain, with a particular focus on Complexes A and B, reveals a change in the ceramic repertoire. A large proportion of fine ware, notably red-slipped ware of the Eastern Sigillata A (ESA) style and other tableware types, was recovered in the early phase (2nd to 1st century BCE). While these fine ware types continue to be found in the later phase (1st century BCE to 1st century CE), a greater quantity of coarse ware of utilitarian purpose such as storage jars and cooking vessels also appears. A few turquoise glazed vessels that are similar to the Parthian or Mesopotamian style were also recovered, but it is challenging to establish their date as they were mostly found in the topsoil. Such patterning can be explained by the shift in the function of Complexes A and B from serving as public buildings, possibly a sanctuary, during the early phase to domestic houses in the later phase. Despite these changes in the ceramic consumption patterns, this diverse range of ware types was mostly produced locally at Artaxata, based on the results of our technological study of 53 samples using thin-section petrography and scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Although they were made locally, different types of fine, coarse and turquoise glazed ware were made in different workshops, each workshop having their own recipes and technologies. In particular, the ESA-styled red-slipped ware was exclusively made in a single workshop over an extended period of time, suggesting a high level of specialisation existed in local pottery production. Such characterisation reflects the status of Artaxata as the capital of the Artaxiad Kingdom, highlighting its ability to control of the production of certain products, especially the ones that are considered to be of high quality and cosmopolitan.

This paper offers an insight into the characteristics of local pottery production and exchange at Artaxata, modern Armenia, from the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, drawing from stratigraphic, typological and technological evidence. The pottery assemblage under study derives from the Armenian-German Artaxata Project, a collaboration between the Armenian Academy of Sciences and University of Münster since 2018. The excavation of various structures of Hill XIII and its adjacent plain, with a particular focus on Complexes A and B, reveals a change in the ceramic repertoire. A large proportion of fine ware, notably red-slipped ware of the Eastern Sigillata A (ESA) style and other tableware types, was recovered in the early phase (2nd to 1st century BCE). While these fine ware types continue to be found in the later phase (1st century BCE to 1st century CE), a greater quantity of coarse ware of utilitarian purpose such as storage jars and cooking vessels also appears. A few turquoise glazed vessels that are similar to the Parthian or Mesopotamian style were also recovered, but it is challenging to establish their date as they were mostly found in the topsoil. Such patterning can be explained by the shift in the function of Complexes A and B from serving as public buildings, possibly a sanctuary, during the early phase to domestic houses in the later phase. Despite these changes in the ceramic consumption patterns, this diverse range of ware types was mostly produced locally at Artaxata, based on the results of our technological study of 53 samples using thin-section petrography and scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Although they were made locally, different types of fine, coarse and turquoise glazed ware were made in different workshops, each workshop having their own recipes and technologies. In particular, the ESA-styled red-slipped ware was exclusively made in a single workshop over an extended period of time, suggesting a high level of specialisation existed in local pottery production. Such characterisation reflects the status of Artaxata as the capital of the Artaxiad Kingdom, highlighting its ability to control of the production of certain products, especially the ones that are considered to be of high quality and cosmopolitan.

Society for American Archaeology (SAA) meeting, Albuquerque, USA (April 10-14, 2019)

The mechanisms by which technical knowledge moves through time and space provides the basis of much material culture research, spanning studies that explore technological change and innovation as well as those that examine technological stability and continuity. However, there are challenges facing archaeologists who seek to reconstruct the learning processes and knowledge networks of past craft practitioners and the implications of the movement of such knowledge and/or craftspeople. In particular, there is a gap between identifying technological change and knowledge transfer in specific local contexts and developing an understanding of regional technological trends, especially in light of the growing use of 'big data' to examine research questions at very broad scales.

This session brings together archaeomaterials research that considers how and why technological knowledge moves (temporally and geographically) on all scales, and asks for a reflection on how these interpretations are formed, in relation to – for example – ethnographic and/or experimental data. It seeks to stimulate discussion on all aspects of knowledge transmission, to share approaches and perspectives from different materials, and bridge the gap between local and regional technological landscapes. This session should interest those working in materials-focused excavation, ethnoarchaeology, experimental archaeology, and the analysis of production remains and artefacts.

If you wish to be considered for this session, please send a 200-word abstract to Louise Iles – l.iles@sheffield.ac.uk – by Wednesday 22 August.