Pottery Technology at the Dawn of the Metal Age

Exploring Dynamics within Vinča Material Culture
This study examines ceramic production at Belovode and Pločnik, tracing how knowledge of pottery recipes was developed, transmitted, and transformed during the Vinča culture. By integrating archaeometry with archaeology, it reveals technological choices, cultural transmission, and links between pottery and early metallurgy.

This book investigates the reconstruction and transmission of pottery-making recipes at the Neolithic/Chalcolithic sites of Belovode and Pločnik (c. 5350/5300–4500), two key settlements of the Vinča culture located in northeast and south Serbia, respectively. Both sites have recently yielded some of the earliest known copper artefacts in Eurasia, making them exceptional case studies for exploring the evolution of ceramic technology during the transition to the Metal Age. An interdisciplinary methodology—combining macroscopic observations with a suite of analytical techniques including thin section petrography, XRF, XRPD, and SEM—was applied to a wide selection of ceramic samples. These samples span the full typological and technological spectrum of pottery from both sites, enabling the reconstruction and comparison of production recipes across different occupational phases. The study’s primary aim was to trace the transmission of technological knowledge in pottery production and to investigate potential pyrotechnological links with the emergence of early metallurgy. The results demonstrate the value of integrating materials science with archaeological inquiry. They reveal distinct technological choices and refined craftsmanship, offering fresh insights into the interplay between ceramic production and metallurgical innovation at the dawn of the Metal Age.

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