Beyond Typology: Current Trends in Ceramic Analysis in China

For many years, the main approach to ceramics from archaeological sites in China consisted of creating ceramic typologies aimed at establishing cultural chronology. While these typologies still provide an important foundation for our understanding of past societies, recent years have seen the rise of new approaches and methodologies in ceramic analysis in China. For example, chemical and petrographic analyses of ceramic pastes are providing insight into production provenances and techniques; residue and use-wear analyses are revealing changing dietary preferences; noninvasive methods such as pXRF are generating new data from objects too delicate or unique to be traditionally sampled. In addition to new methodologies, new theoretical approaches are also shaping the ways in which both recent results and past studies are being interpreted, questioning established typologies and throwing new light on processes of ceramic production and usage as well as changes in and inter-connection between different ceramic traditions. The aim of this session is to bring together scholars working in multiple time periods across China to present and discuss their research, thus allowing for a better understanding of emerging trends and techniques in this field.