Ceramics and Sherds Kimberley Connors www archeducation org

Ceramics and Sherds Kimberley Connors www. archeducation. org

Archaeology • • • Material Culture Data Recording Field Methodology Chemical analysis Specialization Experimental

Artifacts – Ceramic Pottery • • Clay deposits 10, 000 years ago Artifact Most frequently found Skeumorph – mimics original material Different vessels for different purposes Firing: baking pottery in a kiln Kiln: oven where pottery is baked at very high temps

Ceramics at work

Shapes & Whole Vessels • • Pithoi Amphora Amphoriskos Krater Jugs Juglets Lamps Etc.

Amphora The amphora was a two-handled vase used for storage and transport. Krater The word krater means "mixing-bowl, " and the vase was used for mixing wine with water. Kylix This drinking-cup is sometimes called the "symposium-vase, " since it appears often in vase-representations of symposia Kantharos This type of drinking-cup is often seen held by Dionysus in representations on vases. Pithoi Large Storage vessel

What were these pots used for?

Sherds • Sherds vs. Shards • Diagnostics: sherds used for analysis • Typologies: How was it made and what was it used for? (Shapes Decorations Fabric) • Chronology: When was it made? • Petrography: Where was it made?

Ceramics • Only the diagnostics pieces are keep • First washed and left to dry. • Keep in separate bags corresponding to a specific square and locus on a site • Separate wares: fine ware vs. course ware • Typed as to piece: rim, base, collar, etc. • Reconstruct the diagnostics pieces.

Diagnostics • • Handles Rims Collars Bases Body Potter’s marks Uruk Period

Sherd Count • • • Handles Rims Collars Bases Body

• • Ceramics: The technical term for true pottery 10 k years old. Pottery as pots Pottery: Mixture of clay, water and a temper Skeuomorph: A thing that mimics another in clay Sherds Broken pottery pieces • Reconstruct • Technological and compositional studies • Functional analyses • • • Classifications or Typologies Intuitive: one person, one site or collection - morphological Type-variety: the diagnostics (fabric, decoration, or surface) in a certain area – Quantitative : patterned correlations of dimensional measurements max diam. , total height, , etc, see Cesnola web site • Physical properties • • Levigated (inclusions), Petrographic slides hardness, texture, fabric, luster, porosity, carrying capacity, Treatment, decoration and surface Surface, finish or decoration – burnished, incised, combed, color

• We have 16 in our 8 th grade and 13 in our > 7 th grade. The 7 th grade studies: pre history, the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Harappans, Phoenicians, two ancient Chinese cultures, Hebrews, Olmecs, Maya, and Aztecs. They should be into Mesopotamia by the time you see them. • 8 th graders study by heart, but I can tell you they study: the Greeks, Islamic culture. • Basically, I take the students from pre-history up to the Greeks (I often start Greece) and the 8 th grade teachers take the students from the Greeks to the Renaissance.