Pottery as a medium of practice in the community
ReForm Scholar
I am currently working on the analysis of ceramic assemblages from the Iron Age settlement of Balitchi-Dzedzvebi in Georgia. The focus of my study is to connect the physical, taxonomic and morphological aspects of pottery with the chronological development of the site.
When analyzing the material, I also aim to understand the organizational and economic structure of the site. Although ceramic material can more often be seen as the result of using a resource – clay, I believe that ceramics can also be considered a resource. In this context, the material being studied can also be seen as a source of knowledge about the site, or even, as the main source of knowledge. The information and knowledge that we can get from ceramics has almost no limits, whether it is about the origin of the clay, the trade relations of the communities, the economic and organizational division of the locality, and similar.
Pottery that was used in certain communities can also be considered as a reflection of the practices of that community. Therefore, I think that my research can be directed to this area as well. Answers to the questions about the practical approach to ceramics as a resource can be described in different ways of using the clay in shaping the vessel. The entire Chaîne opératoire of craft making can explain the practices that the community is used to or has the ability to use.
