Technological variability of pottery in long-term perspective: a case of the Neolithic settlement at Bylany (Czech Republic)

Summary

The paper presents the development of the technological analysis of pottery at the large Neolithic settlement at Bylany (Czech Republic). The aim of the study is to identify technological chains and interpret the technological variability as materialisation of social networks. Technological variability is studied in relation to the chronological and spatial diversity of the settlement area. The approach is based on visual examination of macroscopic features coupled with validation of the observed phenomena by microscopic analysis. The analysis is focused not only on defining technologically distinctive groups of pottery but also on revealing the nature of these groups. For this reason, emphasis is placed on the quantification of observed phenomena. Until recently, complex quantitative analysis was not imaginable without enormous time consuming effort. The development of techniques of automated image analysis brings new possibilities for understanding the nature of the technological variability. It allows us to locate pottery samples in the multidimensional space of relevant variables and to interpret where intentions and accents of potters were in terms of technological behaviour.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage