New Insights into Iron Age Ceramic Production Technology Based on Macroscopic, Petrographic and Chemical Data

Abstract

This article explores the technological aspects of the Iron Age pottery production in Lithuania and what these aspects can reveal about the society of the period. In order to reveal new insights into the subject, ceramic petrography and chemical analysis via pXRF were employed alongside visual examination of the surface of over 500 ceramic sherds from across Lithuania. Each step of ceramic production was reconstructed and interpreted according to the Chaîne opératoire approach, to the extent the material allowed. The results indicate that the most observable change in the operational chain of ceramic production occurred in the surface treatment, while other aspects of production – ranging from temper use to firing conditions – remained relatively stable throughout the Iron Age. Additionally, ceramic petrography revealed a long-lasting variety of ceramic pastes across the entire assemblage. This variety was also observed in the outer layers of rusticated wares. The evidence collected suggests that this variation resulted from conscious decisions by potters, leading to the conclusion that most homesteads likely interpreted new surface-treatment techniques in their own ways and produced their own pottery.