"Matières à Penser": Raw materials Acquisition and Processing in Early Neolithic Pottery Productions 

Organisers: Barbara van Doosselaere and Laurence Burnez-Lanotte 

Ceramics are one of the most emblematic remains left by early Neolithic farming communities in northwestern and central Europe. They have, as such, received considerable attention over the last century. Yet for a long time the focus of research has mainly been on morpho-stylistic attribute variation. Pottery manufacturing processes have, in comparison, been more rarely investigated.

Gradually however, pottery technologies, in particular raw material acquisition and processing techniques, have gained an increased interest. This is mostly due to the progressive refinement of theoretical models in ethnoarchaeology and to the extraordinary development, over the last decades, of analytical methods in archaeometry (namely in descriptive petrography, instrumental geochemistry, electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, tomography), now enabling very fine-grained technological reconstructions. The informative potential of this type of technological approach is emphasized in a growing number of studies devoted to early Neolithic cultures. New data on exploitation territories and their management, technical performances, cultural and/or symbolic dimensions of raw materials, transmission of knowledge and know-how, and, ultimately, interaction networks linking producing and consuming communities, are indeed now becoming available.

The aim of this workshop is to sum up current research, methods and models relating to raw material acquisition and processing practices, specifically (but not exclusively) in northwestern and central European early Neolithic pottery productions (ca. 6500-4500 BC). We welcome interdisciplinary contributions addressing all aspects of the topic, from the viewpoint of archaeometry, including experimental sciences, archaeology or ethnoarchaeology. The discussions and presentations will be specifically structured around the following topics:

A. Ethnoarchaeological models and social meaning

B. Methodology and analytical tools

 MORE INFORMATION: CIRCULAR

Organising committee: Bosquet D. (SPW DG 04, Belgium); Burnez-Lanotte L. (University of Namur, Belgium); Goemaere E. (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium); Gosselain O. (Free University of Brussels); Livingstone Smith A. (Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium); van Doosselaere B. (University of Namur, Belgium)

Scientific committee: Bosquet D. (SPW DG 04, Belgium); Burnez-Lanotte L. (University of Namur, Belgium); Giligny, F. (Paris 1 University, France); Goemaere E. (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium); Golitko M. (Field Museum, USA); Ilett M. (Paris 1 University, France); Gosselain O. (Free University of Brussels); Livingstone Smith A. (Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium); van Doosselaere B. (University of Namur, Belgium); Yans J. (University of Namur, Belgium)

Contact: microworkshop@sciencesconf.org

Website creation and administration: Barbara van Doosselaere