2020 November - Archaeological Approaches to the Study of the Potter’s Wheel #potterycon

Introduction

The recent past has witnessed a flowering of scholarship explicitly addressing the way that individuals, communities, and societies responded to the introduction of the pottery wheel. In region after region, period after period, existing potting traditions were adjusted, altered, supplanted, or otherwise changed as potters negotiated with the different practices that this technological device enabled. To date, however, discussions of the integration of rotational potting have been largely seated within geographically- and/or chronologically-focused literature. This conference provides a forum for scholars to discuss their work with colleagues, and will facilitate the development of a research network of shared interest which bridges those geographic and chronological divisions. Conference sessions are divided into three themes.

Taking part

Taking part in the Archaeological Approaches to the Study of the Potter’s Wheel is free of charge. The conference is entirely online. Upon registration, you will be sent a digital conference pack with more information on the platform we’ll be using, the speakers, and an abstract book. Click here to register: https://potterswheelconference2020.wordpress.com/registration/. This conference (#potterycon) will be fully digital, open access. The lectures will be presented at https://www.youtube.com/c/ExarcNetofficial. For interaction with the speakers and the other participants, Questions and Answers, please join our Discord Server via this link: https://discord.gg/MJTUwc8 . Once you click, you are prompted to present yourself in 1, 2 sentences and then one of us will let you in.

Open Call for Papers

This is an open call for papers to all anybody employing an experimental approach in their research of the potter’s wheel or are focused more on presentation and sharing of the craft experience.

These articles will be published in the EXARC Journal: https://exarc.net/journal. This open access journal is the leading open access online journal for those involved in experimental archaeology, archaeological open-air museum practice, ancient and traditional technology as well as interpretation and education. It features the latest developments in fieldwork, academic research, museum studies, and living history interpretation. The EXARC Journal attracts over 30,000 readers annually.

The deadline for submissions is 15 January 2021 with publication expected by June 1st 2021.

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Theme 1

The first theme is centred on questions of the mode of research. As yet, there is no reliable, objective methodology for identifying the ways that the potter’s wheel was utilised in pottery forming sequences. This is in turn exacerbated by the rarity of robust sampling and acquisition of statistically significant data which might better accommodate questions of technological variability and technological development. Different approaches have been used to identify and describe vessels formed with rotation, relying on evidence such as traces viewed at the micro, meso, and macro scale, as well as through xeroradiography, CT scanning, and 3D visualisation to name a few. This evidence may or may not be supported by a body of experimental work or replicative potting. The inclusion of this theme in the conference sessions will allow for a dialogue to emerge regarding standards of practice in documentation, presentation, and terminology when describing the evidence.  
See: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUT1pOFU1NyRJvH8Morbgeh2NIejw97

Theme 2

Beyond the foundational level of interpretation and documentation of evidence is the second theme, which addresses our approaches to understanding the evolution of wheel potting techniques. Each archaeological context in which these questions are asked is formed of its own particular context based on social, economic, and cultural spheres, which defined the character of the interplay between device capabilities and potting practices through time. How then can we capture the character of the innovation and clarify the driving forces behind its spread and evolution? In the case where a particular evolutionary scenario is proposed, what is the nature of the evidence used to support it? Is the likelihood of lasting technological change predicated on certain societal conditions? 
See: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUT1pOFU1NSOBjNucxJjBhuDAvwI7Fe

Theme 3

The final theme of the conference extends beyond the boundaries of the archaeological record, and privileges the knowledge and experience of people negotiating technological change, whether through ethnographic accounts or first-hand descriptions of change within a crafting context. Examples which can provide detailed insights into the anatomy of this innovation are especially encouraged. These narratives are often used as the basis for archaeological interpretation, and by emphasizing their importance as a central theme, a better understanding may be reached of emerging technologies as a process occurring within a complex social system. 
See: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUT1pOFU1MKm83zGzWQD0UOiTnUl6Eq

Potting Film Festival

We feature films showing the diversity of practices associated with the potter’s wheel, illustrating the work of full time potters as well as experimental archaeologists.

The Potting Festival is part of the Conference "Archaeological Approaches to the Study of the Potter’s Wheel" #potterycon https://exarc.net/meetings/potters-wheel

The aim of this festival is to showcase the work of potters from around the world, emphasising the diversity of techniques and tools. Wherever potters can be found, both in the past and the present, so can the concept of rotating clay and forming it into any number of shapes and designs. The potting festival exemplifies the exchange of knowledge and techniques that remains inherent in crafts such as pottery making. This festival will be an exposition of potters using wheel-making techniques, whether as analogies for the archaeological record, or for general production.

Filmmakers will be available for an open discussion on Thursday, 26 November at 14:00 (CET).

You can find the Potting Film Festival here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUT1pOFU1NOY_OTD2xFVmPyUG8tvIZF

Further information and updates about the conference can be found at: https://potterswheelconference2020.wordpress.com

Organizers of #potterycon: Caroline Jeffra, Richard Thér, Chase Minos and Roeland Paardekooper