- Ceramic Technology, Cultural Technology, Technology Adoption and Diffusion, Ethnoarchaeology, Levantine Archaeology, Cultural Transmission, and 3 moreDiffusion of Innovations, Evolution and Human Behavior, and Knowledge Representation and Reasoning(Diffusion of Innovations, Evolution and Human Behavior, and Knowledge Representation and Reasoning)edit
The sign value of the first potter's wheels used in the southern Levant (second half of the 5th mill. BC) is explored through the production modalities of V-shaped bowls, the main category of vessels shaped on the wheel at that time. To... more
The sign value of the first potter's wheels used in the southern Levant (second half of the 5th mill. BC) is explored through the production modalities of V-shaped bowls, the main category of vessels shaped on the wheel at that time. To this end, a morphometric approach is applied to V-shaped bowls from four sites through numerical methods available in a Pottery 3-D software used to extract shape parameters. The results obtained highlight a high variability in absolute dimensions and a low variability in profiles. This apparent contradiction is discussed in light of the variability of bowls made under three experimental conditions. The baseline data obtained suggests that the roughouts of the archaeological bowls were made by several hands, while the shaping of the bowls on the wheel was done by a single hand. This disjunction in the production process supports the hypothesis that the earliest rotary instruments found in the southern Levant were loaded with symbolic meaning that was then transferred to the vessels when they were shaped on the wheel.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1fRin,rVDBbxCU
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1fRin,rVDBbxCU
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We first describe the wheel throwing modalities according to the type of wheel. We then examine the deformation of the clay paste depending on these modalities. The goal is a) to understand the differences in the throwing process... more
We first describe the wheel throwing modalities according to the type of wheel. We then examine the deformation of the clay paste depending on these modalities. The goal is a) to understand the differences in the throwing process depending on the type of wheel; b) to highlight diagnostics markers specific of the type of potter’s wheel, i.e. low versus high momentum of inertia; c) to discuss these markers in light of the wheel coiling technique, i.e. coiled rough-outs shaped with RKE.
These markers are meant to help archaeologists in highlighting the different wheel fashioning techniques and the related types of wheel.
http://www.thearkeotekjournal.org/archeo/arkeotek/doc/fr/articles_originaux/6rouxcourty.html
These markers are meant to help archaeologists in highlighting the different wheel fashioning techniques and the related types of wheel.
http://www.thearkeotekjournal.org/archeo/arkeotek/doc/fr/articles_originaux/6rouxcourty.html
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The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of NaCl on the colours and chemical composition of Carich ceramic bodies. The addition of salt to ceramics is a practice that has been observed in several potter communities where... more
The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of NaCl on the colours and chemical composition of Carich ceramic bodies. The addition of salt to ceramics is a practice that has been observed in several potter communities where the addition of salt is explicitly intended to whiten ceramics. In order to conduct this research and characterize the physico-chemical properties induced by the presence of salt, raw clay material and pot sherds were collected from the modern production at Hebron. Experimental bricks were made using two clayed sediments: one with a low CaO content (<10%) and one with a higher CaO content (20-25%). Different proportions of NaCl were added (up to 5%) to clay pastes which were fired at different temperatures. Mineralogy (petrography, XRD), chemistry (SEM-EDX) and colour analyses were carried out on raw clay materials, pot sherds and experimental (lab-made) bricks. SEM imagery offered the possibility to monitor the evolution of the mineralogical transformations, the pore system with increasing firing temperature and salt content. Results confirm the role of salt as a catalyst in the transformation reaction of calcium silicates during the firing process and its influence on the colour of the finished object.
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In this paper, I first argue that technological analysis of archaeological assemblages in terms of chaînes opératoires is a privileged qualitative approach to reconstruct technological networks, namely networks of socially linked... more
In this paper, I first argue that technological analysis of archaeological assemblages in terms of chaînes opératoires is a privileged qualitative approach to reconstruct technological networks, namely networks of socially linked object-makers. This is a first step before explaining dynamic phenomena such as diffusion of techniques or emergence of shared norms at the population level. The second step is to call upon sociological regularities since archaeology alone cannot provide a fine-grained temporal resolution to evaluate how micro-level interactions might have scaled up in changes. In the second part of the paper, I give archaeological examples and illustrate how to use sociological regularities for explaining past dynamics.
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This study explores the effects of the copying error process on material culture. The goal is to assess whether the morphometric variability of standardized vessels, generated by copying errors, can reveal both collective and individual... more
This study explores the effects of the copying error process on material culture. The goal is to assess whether the morphometric variability of standardized vessels, generated by copying errors, can reveal both collective and individual signatures. In this perspective, we collected a corpus of 320 present-day standardized water jars, made by 23 Indian expert potters belonging to two endogamous communities distributed between eight villages. The vessels are analyzed through advanced shape analysis of ceramic vessels. The issue is to assess whether morphometric variability is observable at the ‘community,’ the ‘village,’ and the ‘individual’ scales. The results show a clear separation between the two endogamous communities, even when barely visible by the naked eye. Furthermore, village-level trends can be obtained, especially when village productions are associated with distinct learning networks. Identifying individual signatures within standardized production made by multiple potters belonging to the same learning network remains challenging.
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Pottery is the most ubiquitous find in most historical archaeological excavations and serves as the basis for much research in the discipline. But it is not only its frequency that makes it a prime dataset for such research, it is also... more
Pottery is the most ubiquitous find in most historical archaeological excavations and serves as the basis for much research in the discipline. But it is not only its frequency that makes it a prime dataset for such research, it is also that pottery embeds many dimensions of the human experience, ranging from the purely technical to the eminently symbolic.
The aim of this book is to provide a cutting-edge theoretical and methodological framework, as well as a practical guide, for archaeologists, students and researchers to study ceramic assemblages. As opposed to the conventional typological approach, which focuses on vessel shape and assumed function with the main goal of establishing a chronological sequence, the proposed framework is based on the technological approach. Such an approach utilizes the concept of chaîne opératoire, which is geared to an anthropological interpretation of archaeological objects.
The author offers a sound theoretical background accompanied by an original research strategy whose presentation is at the heart of this book. This research strategy is presented in successive chapters that are geared to explain not only how to study archaeological assemblages, but also why the proposed methods are essential for achieving ambitious interpretive goals.
In the heated debate on the equation stating that “pots equal people”, which is a rather fuzzy reference to assumed relationships between (mostly) ethnic groups and pottery, technology enables us to propose with conviction the equation “pots equal potters”. In this way, a well-founded history of potters is able to achieve a much better cultural and anthropological understanding of ancient societies.
The aim of this book is to provide a cutting-edge theoretical and methodological framework, as well as a practical guide, for archaeologists, students and researchers to study ceramic assemblages. As opposed to the conventional typological approach, which focuses on vessel shape and assumed function with the main goal of establishing a chronological sequence, the proposed framework is based on the technological approach. Such an approach utilizes the concept of chaîne opératoire, which is geared to an anthropological interpretation of archaeological objects.
The author offers a sound theoretical background accompanied by an original research strategy whose presentation is at the heart of this book. This research strategy is presented in successive chapters that are geared to explain not only how to study archaeological assemblages, but also why the proposed methods are essential for achieving ambitious interpretive goals.
In the heated debate on the equation stating that “pots equal people”, which is a rather fuzzy reference to assumed relationships between (mostly) ethnic groups and pottery, technology enables us to propose with conviction the equation “pots equal potters”. In this way, a well-founded history of potters is able to achieve a much better cultural and anthropological understanding of ancient societies.
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This work aims to improve understanding of the conditions favoring adoption of new craft traits. We investigated the cost of motor skill adaptation in asking seven expert potters to produce familiar vs. unfamiliar shapes and using a... more
This work aims to improve understanding of the conditions favoring adoption of new craft traits. We investigated the cost of motor skill adaptation in asking seven expert potters to produce familiar vs. unfamiliar shapes and using a familiar vs. unfamiliar wheel. The gestural patterns of the potters (i.e. the succession of their hand positions) were videotaped for quantitative analysis. Results showed that the hand positions varied mostly according to the shape being thrown, whether that shape was familiar or not. Additionally, all potters transferred a major part of their hand positions repertoire from the familiar shapes to the unfamiliar ones. Hence, expert potters produce novel shapes through individual learning which constitutes a low cost of adaptation. In archaeological contexts where ceramic production was distributed among multiple expert potters, new vessel shapes could easily have been adopted because the individual cost was low. On the other hand, we hypothesize that low-skilled potters (e.g. potters specializing in small vessels) would not have achieved such adoption
without opportunities for social learning. As for the unfamiliar wheels, results indicated that their use did not influence the hand positions but involved new postures that may be difficult to adopt, this merits further studies.
without opportunities for social learning. As for the unfamiliar wheels, results indicated that their use did not influence the hand positions but involved new postures that may be difficult to adopt, this merits further studies.
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The recent literature on “complex contagions” challenges Granovetter’s classic hypothesis on the strength of weak ties and argues that, when the actors’ choice requires reinforcement from several sources, it is the structure of strong... more
The recent literature on “complex contagions” challenges Granovetter’s classic hypothesis on the strength of weak ties and argues that, when the actors’ choice requires reinforcement from several sources, it is the structure of strong ties that really matters to sustain rapid and wide diffusion. The paper contributes to this debate by reporting on a small-N study that relies on a unique combination of ethnographic data, social network analysis, and computational models. In particular, we investigate two rural populations of Indian and Kenyan potters who have to decide whether to adopt new, objectively more efficient and economically more attractive, technical/stylistic options. Qualitative field data show that religious sub-communities within the Indian and Kenyan populations exhibit markedly different diffusion rates and speed over the last thirty years. To account for these differences, we first analyze empirically observed kinship networks and advice networks, and, then, we recreate the actual aggregate diffusion curves through a series of empirically calibrated agent-based simulations. Combining the two methods, we show that, while single exposure through heterophilious weak ties were sufficient to initiate the diffusion process, large bridges made of strong ties can in fact lead to faster or slower diffusion depending on the type of signals circulating in the network. We conclude that, even in presence of “complex contagions,” dense local ties cannot be regarded as a sufficient condition for faster diffusion.
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This short introduction briefly recalls how sociological theories and formal methods for social networks can help to interpret diffusion processes of ancient cultural traits. It also provides a presentation of the selected papers. These... more
This short introduction briefly recalls how sociological theories and formal methods for social networks can help to interpret diffusion processes of ancient cultural traits. It also provides a presentation of the selected papers. These papers focus not on the ways archaeological data can be represented in a relational format, but on the potential of specific sociological network-related models to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of diffusion processes. The necessity to develop more fine-grained information to reconstruct ancient local social networks is underlined while three aspects of the diffusion process are explored: (a) situations in which cultural practices are not borrowed in spite of contact between groups; (b) situations in which cultural practices are adopted; and (c) situations in which cultural practices in one group are copied by people from another group. All of them take inspiration from sociological studies of diffusion processes through networks, although to different extents.
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In this article, we question how new technological traits can penetrate cohesive social groups and spread. Based on ethnographic narratives and following studies in sociology, the hypothesis is that not only weak ties are important for... more
In this article, we question how new technological traits can penetrate cohesive social groups and spread. Based on ethnographic narratives and following studies in sociology, the hypothesis is that not only weak ties are important for linking otherwise unconnected groups and introducing new techniques but also that expertise is required. In order to test this hypothesis, we carried out a set of field experiments in northern India where the kiln has been adopted recently. Our goal was to measure the degree of expertise of the potters distributed between early and late adopters of the kiln. Our results are discussed in the light of oral interviews. Our conclusions suggest that expertise is a necessary, albeit not sufficient, condition for weak ties to act as bridges and thereby for new techniques to spread. As an example, they explain how turntables could have been adopted by potters from the northern Levant during the third millennium BC.
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In this paper, we address the question of the conditions for persistence of technological boundaries. We use field studies to test the predictions generated by a theoretical model in analytical sociology and examine the micro-processes at... more
In this paper, we address the question of the conditions for persistence of technological boundaries. We use field studies to test the predictions generated by a theoretical model in analytical sociology and examine the micro-processes at stake in the non-diffusion of techniques: to which extent techniques contributes to a sharp disagreement between groups and promote polarization? The ultimate goal is to provide archaeologists with an empirically tested model to explain spatial distribution of technological clusters and maintenance of technological boundaries. Field studies examine ethnographic situations in four countries where social groups using different ceramic techniques for making utilitarian vessels live in close geographical proximity. Two situations enable us to examine the conditions under which technological boundaries persist, while two others enable us to analyze, through a boundary-making perspective, how differences in craft techniques contribute to polarization. Our data suggest that in a context where different techniques are used for different types of object there is a cognitive bias which fosters technological polarization. This cognitive bias develops in the course of interactions between actors living in close geographical proximity. Polarization increases when technological standards are used by different social groups, thereby favoring negative influence and persistent technological boundaries.
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In this paper, we propose to assess whether it is possible to highlight the number of artisans involved in a standardized production. The case study is ethnographic with the scope to build up reference data for interpreting archaeological... more
In this paper, we propose to assess whether it is possible to highlight
the number of artisans involved in a standardized production. The case
study is ethnographic with the scope to build up reference data for
interpreting archaeological data. The study took place in Rajasthan (India) where the same type of water jar is produced and distributed at a macroregional scale. We first describe the context of production. Then, the absolute dimensions, as well as the profiles of the potters’ vessels, are analyzed in terms of distance to each other to assess whether metric variability can reflect individual ways of making a same type of jar, and hence the number of potters.
the number of artisans involved in a standardized production. The case
study is ethnographic with the scope to build up reference data for
interpreting archaeological data. The study took place in Rajasthan (India) where the same type of water jar is produced and distributed at a macroregional scale. We first describe the context of production. Then, the absolute dimensions, as well as the profiles of the potters’ vessels, are analyzed in terms of distance to each other to assess whether metric variability can reflect individual ways of making a same type of jar, and hence the number of potters.
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L’objectif de cet ouvrage est de fournir aux archéologues, étudiants et chercheurs, un cadre théorique et méthodologique pour étudier les assemblages céramiques. Ce cadre est fondé sur l’approche technologique qui, à travers le concept de... more
L’objectif de cet ouvrage est de fournir aux archéologues, étudiants et chercheurs, un cadre théorique et méthodologique pour étudier les assemblages céramiques. Ce cadre est fondé sur l’approche technologique qui, à travers le concept de chaîne opératoire, ambitionne une lecture anthropologique des objets archéologiques.
Pour mettre en œuvre cette lecture, l’auteur propose une stratégie de recherche originale dont l’exposé est au cœur de ce manuel. Cette stratégie conditionne l’organisation des différents chapitres dont la succession répond au souci didactique d’expliciter non seulement comment étudier des séries archéologiques, mais aussi pourquoi les modalités d’étude proposées sont incontournables pour aborder, de manière fondée, des champs interprétatifs ambitieux.
Pour mettre en œuvre cette lecture, l’auteur propose une stratégie de recherche originale dont l’exposé est au cœur de ce manuel. Cette stratégie conditionne l’organisation des différents chapitres dont la succession répond au souci didactique d’expliciter non seulement comment étudier des séries archéologiques, mais aussi pourquoi les modalités d’étude proposées sont incontournables pour aborder, de manière fondée, des champs interprétatifs ambitieux.
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This paper addresses the question of the diffusion of morpho-functional traits across social boundaries. A present-day situation is examined. It describes the widespread adoption of a granite tempered water jar by two social communities... more
This paper addresses the question of the diffusion of morpho-functional traits across social boundaries. A present-day situation is examined. It describes the widespread adoption of a granite tempered water jar by two social communities of potters who used to produce distinct ranges of morpho-functional vessels. The analysis of the transmission mechanisms shows that diffusion of such traits occurred both through indirect and direct transmission. Indirect transmission occurred at the inter-group level while direct transmission under the form of technical guidance occurred at the intra-group level. These were triggered by the intention of the artisans to produce a model valued by the consumers and which sells well. This intention took place in a context of collapse of the previous economic system. These results suggest that in a context where ceramic production was previously diversified and economically complementary, the standardization of morpho-functional traits signals that an established «rule» was transgressed and therefore that major socio-economic changes took place.
The impact of copying error on change in artifact morphology is studied through a field experiment with three groups of potters, each with a distinct potting tradition (one from France and two from India). The nine French potters and the... more
The impact of copying error on change in artifact morphology is studied through a field experiment with three groups of potters, each with a distinct potting tradition (one from France and two from India). The nine French potters and the 12 Indian potters had to reproduce – in five specimens – four different model shapes with two different weights of clay (in total, each potter threw 40 pots). Results show that the variability generated while copying depends on both the difficulty of the task and the cultural learning niches of the potters. We conclude that, even though unintended, the copying error is culturally constrained and therefore its amplitude and directions predictable. This is attributed to the cultural selection of motor skills during apprenticeship.
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This paper questions the spreading of techniques considered as advantageous when measured in terms of energetic efficiency. A present-day case study, in which techniques do not spread, is used to highlight a transmission model that can be... more
This paper questions the spreading of techniques considered as advantageous when measured in terms of energetic efficiency. A present-day case study, in which techniques do not spread, is used to highlight a transmission model that can be used to understand the spread of technical systems in terms of demic or cultural
processes. The model is then applied to the spread of the potter’s wheel in the second and third millennium BC in the southern and northern Levant. Results show that both demic and cultural processes explain how the potter’s wheel became prevalent in the
Levant. The selective forces are discussed by comparing the ceramic production contexts. We conclude that technical evolution is regulated by social mutations, i.e., major discontinuities.
processes. The model is then applied to the spread of the potter’s wheel in the second and third millennium BC in the southern and northern Levant. Results show that both demic and cultural processes explain how the potter’s wheel became prevalent in the
Levant. The selective forces are discussed by comparing the ceramic production contexts. We conclude that technical evolution is regulated by social mutations, i.e., major discontinuities.
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The Chalcolithic period raises the question of the correlation between social mutation and emergence of the so-called discontinuous techniques given the technical leap they correspond to. This correlation has already been underlined by... more
The Chalcolithic period raises the question of the correlation between social mutation and emergence of the so-called discontinuous techniques given the technical leap they correspond to. This correlation has already been underlined by social anthropologists like R. Cresswell. Its explanation needs to examine the conditions of emergence of innovations. In order to bring elements of answer, three technical domains are investigated, ceramic, metallurgy and lithic, taken in three distinct cultural contexts, the Southern Levant, the Pakistani Balochistan and Europe. It follows the hypothesis that the context of production of techniques, here a production achieved by specialized craftsmen attached to an elite, acts as evolutionary forces, determining both the history and the trajectories of techniques.
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The dynamic systems framework may be considered an alternative to traditional approaches that study technological change. The benefits of this framework are simultaneously methodological and metaphorical. Methodologically, the framework... more
The dynamic systems framework may be considered an alternative to traditional approaches that study technological change. The benefits of this framework are simultaneously methodological and metaphorical. Methodologically, the framework provides a coherent analytic process for studying empirical data to explain
the complexity of technological change. Metaphorically, the framework appeals to local-scale “interactive mechanisms” to account for the origins of change. Applicability of the dynamic systems framework for studying technological change is
illustrated with an archaeological case study: the emergence of the potter’s wheel in southern Levant during the 4th millennium BC.
the complexity of technological change. Metaphorically, the framework appeals to local-scale “interactive mechanisms” to account for the origins of change. Applicability of the dynamic systems framework for studying technological change is
illustrated with an archaeological case study: the emergence of the potter’s wheel in southern Levant during the 4th millennium BC.
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In DOBRES, M.-A. et HOFFMAN, C. (Eds.) The social dynamics of technology, practice, politics and world views. Washington and London : Smithsonian Institution Press, 1999. p. 46-70.
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This study aims at characterising the pottery tradition of the Lower Egyptian Culture to shed new light on the sociological landscape of the Delta region at the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. The analytical method chosen to address... more
This study aims at characterising the pottery tradition of the Lower Egyptian Culture to shed new light on the sociological landscape of the Delta region at the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. The analytical method chosen to address this issue is the chaîne opératoire approach as it proved to be particularly well
suited to define the local tradition and differentiate it from other productions in Middle/Upper Egypt and the Levant. The goal is to set the stage for future studies
on its evolution through interactions with neighbouring regions. The results obtained by analysing pottery assemblages from Tell el-Iswid and Tell el-Samara
and by comparing them to samples from Tell el-Fara’in/Buto show the presence of four chaîne opératoires; a local distinctive one of the Delta predominates and proves to be very different from those of Middle/Upper Egypt and the Levant. This local tradition was practiced at the domestic level, remained stable over time and testifies to a Lower Egyptian social group made up of communities linked by strong ties.
suited to define the local tradition and differentiate it from other productions in Middle/Upper Egypt and the Levant. The goal is to set the stage for future studies
on its evolution through interactions with neighbouring regions. The results obtained by analysing pottery assemblages from Tell el-Iswid and Tell el-Samara
and by comparing them to samples from Tell el-Fara’in/Buto show the presence of four chaîne opératoires; a local distinctive one of the Delta predominates and proves to be very different from those of Middle/Upper Egypt and the Levant. This local tradition was practiced at the domestic level, remained stable over time and testifies to a Lower Egyptian social group made up of communities linked by strong ties.
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This article presents results obtained from experiments carried out in 1998 and 2002 at the Historical-Archaeological Center of Lejre (Denmark). The scope was to provide comparative reference data to interpret the finishing techniques and... more
This article presents results obtained from experiments carried out in 1998 and 2002 at the Historical-Archaeological Center of Lejre (Denmark). The scope was to provide comparative reference data to interpret the finishing techniques and the surface treatments of the southern Levant Late Chalcolithic ceramics (2nd half of the 5th millennium BC).
http://www.thearkeotekjournal.org/tdm/Arkeotek/fr/articles_originaux/1Roux.xml
http://www.thearkeotekjournal.org/tdm/Arkeotek/fr/articles_originaux/1Roux.xml
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This article presents an overview of the chaîne opératoire approach and recalls its relevance as a social and transmission signal. It describes the main components of the ceramic chaînes opératoires and the principles for identifying them... more
This article presents an overview of the chaîne opératoire approach and recalls its relevance as a social and transmission signal. It describes the main components of the ceramic chaînes opératoires and the principles for identifying them on the archaeological material through diagnostic attributes including both surface features and microfabrics. Next, it takes a forward look at the classification of ceramic assemblages according to the chaîne opératoire approach in order to unravel the sociological complexity behind their variability. Finally, this chapter highlights the heuristic character of the chaîne opératoire approach when studying, on the synchronic axis, the techno-economic systems, and on the diachronic axis, changes in technical traditions considered as the expression of culture histories and the factors affecting them.
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Technological ceramic analysis aims to studying the synchronic and diachronic variability of archaeological assemblages from an anthropological angle. It has its bases in actualist studies (anthropology and ethno-archaeology). After a... more
Technological ceramic analysis aims to studying the synchronic and diachronic variability of archaeological assemblages from an anthropological angle. It has its bases in actualist studies (anthropology and ethno-archaeology). After a reminded of the principal results obtained in the last decades, methodological results are extracted that are applicable to archaeological assemblages; from these a classification procedure is proposed. The latter, based on the chaîne opératoire concept, allows a controlled image of the various traditions that make up a ceramic assemblage; given that a tradition corresponds to a social entity which can vary in sociological nature and include several production units. On a diachronic level it enable stables features to be distinguished from those that evolve through time, thereby
witnessing to endogenous and/or exogenous evolutionary phenomena. In this way technological ceramic analysis can lay the foundations of many-faceted interpretations, the study of technical traditions being the first stage for
subsequently analysing the organisation and distribution of ceramic production, the function of the sites, and, lastly, the
ways in which technical and stylistic characteristics evolve.
witnessing to endogenous and/or exogenous evolutionary phenomena. In this way technological ceramic analysis can lay the foundations of many-faceted interpretations, the study of technical traditions being the first stage for
subsequently analysing the organisation and distribution of ceramic production, the function of the sites, and, lastly, the
ways in which technical and stylistic characteristics evolve.
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Wheel throwing has long been identified in archaeology on the basis of specific surface features as well as internal diagnostic structures detected by radiographic techniques. On the basis of an experimental study, this paper proposes to... more
Wheel throwing has long been identified in archaeology on the basis of specific surface features as well as internal diagnostic structures detected by radiographic techniques. On the basis of an experimental study, this paper proposes to re-examine the criteria of ceramic forming processes. Interpretation of the physical reaction of clay to hydric and mechanical stress helps to show the relationship between microfabrics and ceramic forming processes. Integrated analysis of surface features and microfabrics allows us to distinguish wheel throwing from wheel shaping of coil-built
roughouts and gives us information that we can apply to a study of 3rd millennium archaeological materials from Mesopotamia, Iran and India. Our preliminary conclusions suggest that the 3rd millennium vessels, usually considered as wheel thrown, were initially formed by coiling and then shaped on a wheel.
roughouts and gives us information that we can apply to a study of 3rd millennium archaeological materials from Mesopotamia, Iran and India. Our preliminary conclusions suggest that the 3rd millennium vessels, usually considered as wheel thrown, were initially formed by coiling and then shaped on a wheel.
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The southern Levant and northern Mesopotamia are two areas in which the potter's wheel seems to have appeared independently. New data enable us to undertake a comparison between both regions. As a result, it appears that in both regions... more
The southern Levant and northern Mesopotamia are two areas in which the potter's wheel seems to have appeared independently. New data enable us to undertake a comparison between both regions. As a result, it appears that in both regions the context of production of the first wheel-made vessels was very similar. Wheel-coiled bowls were made by craft specialists attached to some kind of elite and responding to the demand of this same elite for fine vessels. Thus the potter's wheel was not adopted to improve productivity, but to produce to strong vessels with status value. As a consequence, this technology was not transferred to more utilitarian categories of vessels, and in both regions its development followed the same distinctive saw-tooth evolutionary trajectory.
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The site of Tell Arqa, in Northern Lebanon, displays a continuous sequence covering the entire 3rd millennium, which attests major economic and socio-cultural changes affecting the entire plain of Akkar around 2500 BC. In order to... more
The site of Tell Arqa, in Northern Lebanon, displays a continuous sequence covering the entire 3rd millennium, which attests major economic and socio-cultural changes affecting the entire plain of Akkar around 2500 BC. In order to understand whether these changes testify to a form of historical continuity or mark anthropological ruptures, related to sociological or population changes, the Bronze Age ceramic assemblages have been studied by combining morpho-stylistic and technological approaches. The results show that the same chaînes opératoires have been transmitted from one generation to the next for more than a millennium within a group of specialized potters, reflecting irrefutable sociological continuity. However, morphological and stylistic changes, which thus occur against a background of technical stability, reflect a dynamics among consumers whose demand has evolved progressively in the course of the site’s history.
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The potter’s wheel is commonly considered to be a technology whose advantages in manufacturing time and regularity of the finished products could explain its general diffusion around the Mediterranean from the 3rd to 1st millennium B.C.... more
The potter’s wheel is commonly considered to be a technology whose advantages in manufacturing time and regularity
of the finished products could explain its general diffusion around the Mediterranean from the 3rd to 1st millennium
B.C. In this paper, we propose to re-examine this hypothesis by comparing and explaining four different case studies
dating to the 3rd and 2nd millennium B.C. As we shall see, these examples show that the potter’s wheel was adopted
according to different modalities and rhythms depending on social contexts. The importance of social context in the
diffusion phenomenon is well acknowledged by the anthropology of techniques. It can be explained in terms of universal mechanisms as shown by ethnographic data collected in India. We conclude that the spreading of the potter’s wheel was not content dependent, but very much dependent on social context.
of the finished products could explain its general diffusion around the Mediterranean from the 3rd to 1st millennium
B.C. In this paper, we propose to re-examine this hypothesis by comparing and explaining four different case studies
dating to the 3rd and 2nd millennium B.C. As we shall see, these examples show that the potter’s wheel was adopted
according to different modalities and rhythms depending on social contexts. The importance of social context in the
diffusion phenomenon is well acknowledged by the anthropology of techniques. It can be explained in terms of universal mechanisms as shown by ethnographic data collected in India. We conclude that the spreading of the potter’s wheel was not content dependent, but very much dependent on social context.
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Modi’in, located in the centre of Israel, is one of the rare sites presenting a sequence of occupations covering the end of the 5th millenium and the fi rst half of the 4th millennium BC. The technological study of the ceramic... more
Modi’in, located in the centre of Israel, is one of the rare sites presenting a sequence of occupations covering the end of the
5th millenium and the fi rst half of the 4th millennium BC. The technological study of the ceramic assemblages enables us to re-examine the diffi cult question of continuity and/or discontinuity between the Late Chalcolithic and the earliest Early Bronze Age I cultures in this region. Results show that between the end of the Late Chalcolithic and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age I, there is continuity in the ways of making utilitarian vessels, but discontinuity in the ways of fashioning ceremonial vessels. Moreover, a new functional category of ceramics appears characteristic for the region and whose properties bring them closer to those of ceremonial vessels. Those features argue in favour of both a phylogenetic link between Northern Negev Ghassulian populations and people living in the Shephela (the western piedmont of the Judea-Samaria incline), and a reorganisation of those societies during a transitional period,
including the post-Ghassulian (Late Chalcolithic 2) and the very beginning of the Early Bronze Age I.
5th millenium and the fi rst half of the 4th millennium BC. The technological study of the ceramic assemblages enables us to re-examine the diffi cult question of continuity and/or discontinuity between the Late Chalcolithic and the earliest Early Bronze Age I cultures in this region. Results show that between the end of the Late Chalcolithic and the beginning of the Early Bronze Age I, there is continuity in the ways of making utilitarian vessels, but discontinuity in the ways of fashioning ceremonial vessels. Moreover, a new functional category of ceramics appears characteristic for the region and whose properties bring them closer to those of ceremonial vessels. Those features argue in favour of both a phylogenetic link between Northern Negev Ghassulian populations and people living in the Shephela (the western piedmont of the Judea-Samaria incline), and a reorganisation of those societies during a transitional period,
including the post-Ghassulian (Late Chalcolithic 2) and the very beginning of the Early Bronze Age I.
Research Interests:
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Recent discoveries at Tel Yarmuth (Early Bronze Age, c. 3500–2350 BC) enable us to revisit the question of the introduction of the potter’s wheel in the Southern Levant. Two tournettes have been found which represent the typical potter’s... more
Recent discoveries at Tel Yarmuth (Early Bronze Age, c. 3500–2350 BC) enable us to revisit the question of the introduction of the potter’s wheel in the Southern Levant. Two tournettes have been found which represent the typical potter’s wheel of the 3rd millennium BC in the Southern Levant.
Their technological analysis, as well as an analysis of the EB III ceramics, confirms that at Yarmuth, and other contemporary sites, potters did not throw ceramics on the wheel, but coiled roughouts which were then thinned and/or shaped on the tournette. Only a small range of vessels were fashioned on the tournette, suggesting that it was used by a limited number of potters. It is suggested that the potters using the tournette may have been specialists attached to the elite of a major city and occasionally shared out between several settlements within a region.
Their technological analysis, as well as an analysis of the EB III ceramics, confirms that at Yarmuth, and other contemporary sites, potters did not throw ceramics on the wheel, but coiled roughouts which were then thinned and/or shaped on the tournette. Only a small range of vessels were fashioned on the tournette, suggesting that it was used by a limited number of potters. It is suggested that the potters using the tournette may have been specialists attached to the elite of a major city and occasionally shared out between several settlements within a region.
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Research Interests:
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The evolutionary trajectory of the potter’s wheel in the southern Levant from the 5th to the 3rd millennium BC provides the starting point for a consideration of possible regularities that explain why, in a repeated manner, a technique... more
The evolutionary trajectory of the potter’s wheel in the southern Levant from the 5th to the 3rd millennium BC provides the starting point for a consideration of possible regularities that explain why, in a repeated manner, a technique that has technical-economic advantages may not be the subject of transfer or borrowing. To this
end, we distinguish between historical scenarios that retrace the history of the wheel itself, and the conditions in which ceramic production took place – conditions that are assumed to play a role in the evolutionary forces. According to this approach, it appears that certain general mechanisms exist that explain why, given
the conditions of its innovation, the technique of the potter’s wheel corresponded to an unsustainable system that was expected to vanish. In the same way, we can explain why this technique disappeared a second time at the end of the 3rd millennium and how it again became predominant during the 2nd millennium BC.
These regularities may apply to all techniques with similar properties (technical-economic advantages, high cost of apprenticeship) and with similar conditions of innovation.
end, we distinguish between historical scenarios that retrace the history of the wheel itself, and the conditions in which ceramic production took place – conditions that are assumed to play a role in the evolutionary forces. According to this approach, it appears that certain general mechanisms exist that explain why, given
the conditions of its innovation, the technique of the potter’s wheel corresponded to an unsustainable system that was expected to vanish. In the same way, we can explain why this technique disappeared a second time at the end of the 3rd millennium and how it again became predominant during the 2nd millennium BC.
These regularities may apply to all techniques with similar properties (technical-economic advantages, high cost of apprenticeship) and with similar conditions of innovation.
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In the Southern Levant, during the 4th millennium ВС, a new morpho-technical ceramic type appears : the bowls with a « V » profile. These bowls are present in the upper levels of the site of Abu Hamid. A technological analysis, both of... more
In the Southern Levant, during the 4th millennium ВС, a new morpho-technical ceramic type appears : the bowls with a « V »
profile. These bowls are present in the upper levels of the site of Abu Hamid. A technological analysis, both of surface features and microfabrics, has enabled us to reconstruct the manufacturing process, to identify centres of production and to propose
hypotheses about their function. The bowls with a «V» profile were shaped on the wheel. The ones from Abu Hamid came from
remote production centres, some in the Negev. Their function seems to have been cultual. Their distribution could reflect the
emergence of a vast politico- cultic community in the Southern Levant at the beginning of the 4th millennium ВС.
profile. These bowls are present in the upper levels of the site of Abu Hamid. A technological analysis, both of surface features and microfabrics, has enabled us to reconstruct the manufacturing process, to identify centres of production and to propose
hypotheses about their function. The bowls with a «V» profile were shaped on the wheel. The ones from Abu Hamid came from
remote production centres, some in the Negev. Their function seems to have been cultual. Their distribution could reflect the
emergence of a vast politico- cultic community in the Southern Levant at the beginning of the 4th millennium ВС.
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This study is aimed at evaluating potters’ skills according to the mechanical characteristics of the vessels they produced. It focuses on wheel thrown vessels. In a first stage, considering that the difficulty of throwing ceramic vessels... more
This study is aimed at evaluating potters’ skills according to the mechanical characteristics of the vessels they produced. It focuses on wheel thrown vessels. In a first stage, considering that the difficulty of throwing ceramic vessels is to a significant extent determined by the risk of collapse of the thrown structure, we applied the method of finite element modelling to derive an index of mechanical stresses
operating within a vessel. Validated via compression tests, the so-called Von Mises stress index was employed as a global index of mechanical difficulty. Because this index allows comparisons between vessels of different form, mass, and clay properties, it provides a more powerful tool than existing techno-morphological taxonomies. In a second stage, in order to relate the Von Mises stress index to throwing difficulty, we analysed the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of vessels thrown by eleven expert potters invited to reproduce four different model forms with two different masses of clay. The results demonstrated that reproductions revealed subtle but systematic deviations from the model forms that allowed a decrease in the mechanical difficulty. More difficult forms showed larger degrees of mechanical optimisation. These results, in combination with a new analysis of data from Roux’s (1990) study with potters of different skill levels, indicate that skill resides, at least to a certain extent, in the
capacity to marshal the operative mechanical constraints. In other words, the latter, measured by the Von Mises index, provides a useful signature of a potter’s skills.
operating within a vessel. Validated via compression tests, the so-called Von Mises stress index was employed as a global index of mechanical difficulty. Because this index allows comparisons between vessels of different form, mass, and clay properties, it provides a more powerful tool than existing techno-morphological taxonomies. In a second stage, in order to relate the Von Mises stress index to throwing difficulty, we analysed the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of vessels thrown by eleven expert potters invited to reproduce four different model forms with two different masses of clay. The results demonstrated that reproductions revealed subtle but systematic deviations from the model forms that allowed a decrease in the mechanical difficulty. More difficult forms showed larger degrees of mechanical optimisation. These results, in combination with a new analysis of data from Roux’s (1990) study with potters of different skill levels, indicate that skill resides, at least to a certain extent, in the
capacity to marshal the operative mechanical constraints. In other words, the latter, measured by the Von Mises index, provides a useful signature of a potter’s skills.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Cambay is one of the very rare places in the world where the stone-knapping technique still responds to the principles of the conchoidal fracture. The technique practised is an indirect percussion by counter-blow and is used for making... more
Cambay is one of the very rare places in the world where the stone-knapping technique still responds to the principles of the conchoidal fracture. The technique practised is an indirect percussion by counter-blow and is used for making stone beads. This technique is a recent one in the history of techniques. It can provide, however, an appropriate reference situation to study the skills involved in stone knapping. In effect, given that for all stone-knapping techniques, the stable parameters of conchoidal fracture must be controlled, we can assume then that similar skills are involved. In order to characterize the skills involved in stone knapping in Cambay, a program of field experimentation was developed. At Cambay, the knappers are distinguished according to different levels of competence. In psychology, studies of apprenticeship are often based on transfer tasks. We tested the following hypothesis: the degree of success attained in modified situations reflects the capacities of adjustment,
flexibility and planning of the artisan. A highly-skilled artisan should be capable of transferring his planning and motor skills to new situations. In addition, we would expect the differences that characterize distinct expertise levels to be amplified in the context of transfer tasks. Modifications were introduced into the knapping activity of the artisan, varying the nature of the raw material to be worked (glass versus stone) and the objective to be attained (bead dimensions and shapes). We worked with 12 artisans distributed equally among two levels of expertise: a high-level, and a low-level. The participants were instructed to produce superior-quality beads. The ensemble of fabrication processes of each bead was recorded with a video camera and an accelerometer attached to the head of the knapper’s hammer in order to analyze the succession of actions realized, as well as the characteristics of the elementary movements and their sequencing.
flexibility and planning of the artisan. A highly-skilled artisan should be capable of transferring his planning and motor skills to new situations. In addition, we would expect the differences that characterize distinct expertise levels to be amplified in the context of transfer tasks. Modifications were introduced into the knapping activity of the artisan, varying the nature of the raw material to be worked (glass versus stone) and the objective to be attained (bead dimensions and shapes). We worked with 12 artisans distributed equally among two levels of expertise: a high-level, and a low-level. The participants were instructed to produce superior-quality beads. The ensemble of fabrication processes of each bead was recorded with a video camera and an accelerometer attached to the head of the knapper’s hammer in order to analyze the succession of actions realized, as well as the characteristics of the elementary movements and their sequencing.
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Various authors have suggested behavioural similarities between tool use in early hominins and chimpanzee nut cracking, where nut cracking might be interpreted as a precursor of more complex stone flaking. In this paper, we bring together... more
Various authors have suggested behavioural similarities between tool use in early hominins and chimpanzee nut cracking, where nut cracking might be interpreted as a precursor of more complex stone flaking. In this paper, we bring together and review two separate strands of research on chimpanzee and human tool use and cognitive abilities. Firstly, and in the greatest detail, we review our recent experimental work on behavioural organization and skill acquisition in nut-cracking and stoneknapping tasks, highlighting similarities and differences between the two tasks that may be informative for the interpretation of stone tools in the early archaeological record. Secondly, and more briefly, we outline a model of the comparative neuropsychology of primate tool use and discuss recent descriptive anatomical and statistical analyses of anthropoid primate brain evolution, focusing on corticocerebellar systems. By juxtaposing these two strands of research, we are able to identify unsolved problems that can usefully be addressed by future research in each of these two research areas.
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In order to get a better understanding of the role of planning abilities in stone knapping as well as on the dynamic of their emergence, an actualist study has been conducted in India where stone beads are still knapped according to a... more
In order to get a better understanding of the role of planning abilities in stone knapping as well as on the dynamic of their emergence, an actualist study has been conducted in India where stone beads are still knapped according to a traditional technique. The course of action aimed at transforming pebbles into parallelepipedals is studied for subjects with different levels of expertise. Patterning of planning is investigated through the following points: the ordering of the operations, the variability at both the intra- and inter-subject levels and the temporal structure of the sequences. Results show that the knapping expertise results from a dynamic involving interaction between the elementary movements, perceptual information and planning. The elementary movements are tuned according to the goal of the knapper, here the quality of the beads. Perception of the stone characteristics and adjustment of the subgoals to the final goal depend on this regulation. The same way, data on apprenticeship suggest that planning should be construed as a perceptual-motor skill emerging from action and perception. This result has direct implications for studying evolution of lithic industries. In particular, it appears that technical actions as expressed by lithic industries should be considered as complex phenomena whose actualization is not reducible to a sole prime mover alleged to be the development of planning abilities.
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In a provocative article published recently in Archaeological dialogues (23(2)), Olivier Gosselain proposes ‘to get rid of ethnoarchaeology once and for all, and join forces with other, more serious, disciplines’. In this reaction... more
In a provocative article published recently in Archaeological dialogues (23(2)), Olivier Gosselain proposes ‘to get rid of ethnoarchaeology once and for all, and join forces with other, more serious, disciplines’. In this reaction article, I challenge Gosselain’s sweeping statements about ethnoarchaeology. In particular I argue against the notion that methodological weakness is unique to ethnoarchaeology, that the questions under study ignore the complexity of the social context, and that the search for cross-cultural regularities denies the historical dimension of technical practices. In conclusion, I suggest that rather than getting rid of ethnoarchaeology, it would be more helpful to meet the ambitious goals of ethnoarchaeology by improving and strengthening the methodology.
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The Arkeotek project aims at building knowledge bases in the domain of the archaeology of techniques. These knowledge bases are made up of documents structured in data and interpretation rules, the latter being understood as inference... more
The Arkeotek project aims at building knowledge bases in the domain of the archaeology of techniques. These knowledge bases are made up of documents structured in data and interpretation rules, the latter being understood as inference operations performed to generate conclusions or interpretative hypotheses. Such structured documents are obtained through the logicist analysis, a 30-year old term given to an ensemble of research aiming at clarifying the mechanisms and foundations of the reasoning which organize our scientific constructs (GARDIN 2003). Nowadays, only logicism proposes an efficient methodology for extracting the reasonings contained in our scientific publications and therefore for building corpuses of inference rules. In this paper, we focus on the tools and resources designed for querying such corpuses: a domain ontology associated with a terminology, a semantic annotation tool as well a query tool. The originality of our approach is to support the corpus and domain knowledge evolution. The ultimate goal is to give the archaeologist the possibility to consult archaeological interpretations on specific subjects, as well as the foundations of these interpretations including data bases.
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La question de la transition entre le Chalcolithique final et le Bronze ancien I dans le sud Levant fait l'objet de nombreux débats depuis maintenant plusieurs décennies. Le volume qui lui est consacré ici est destiné à faire état de... more
La question de la transition entre le Chalcolithique final et le Bronze ancien I dans le sud Levant fait l'objet de nombreux débats depuis maintenant plusieurs décennies. Le volume qui lui est consacré ici est destiné à faire état de nouvelles données archéologiques qui permettent d'en renouveler les réponses. On rappellera au préalable les principales étapes de la recherche sur le sujet. Ces étapes ont été déterminées par l'état des connaissances et la qualité des datations ; elles témoignent aussi de l'évolution de notre regard sur une transition, longtemps oblitérée, témoignant de la transformation des sociétés au cours de la première moitié du IVe millénaire avant notre ère selon des scénarios différents selon les régions.