20-24 November 2017 – Ceramic Technology Workshop

Dr. Sebastien Mánem CNRS, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Université Paris Nanterre, the Faculty of Archaeology (Leiden University) and the Department of Archaeology (University of Amsterdam) will host a one week workshop focused on analytical methodologies for the study of macro-traces of manufacturing practices in archaeological
ceramics . The main goal of the workshop is to provide BA, MA, RMA, PhDs and Postdocs from Dutch universities the opportunity to become acquainted with the theory, methods, and laboratory techniques involved in the study of ceramic technologies.

The number of participants (BA, MA, RMA, PhD, and Postdocs) at the event will be limited, so selection will take place through an application process.

Materiality is the flow of intersecting itineraries of bodies and objects, it is, in other words, embodiment (Cresswell, 2006). In archaeological ceramics, the anthropology of techniques approach (Lemmonier, 1986) aims to identify different cultural signatures, technical styles, which involve specific steps and bodily gestures for manufacturing objects with clay. These practices leave clearly defined material traces in the sherds we recover at surveys and excavation projects, as well as the vessels and their fragments stored in museums and depos. In the last few decades, the combination of ethnoarchaeological, experimental, and archaeological research has advanced in the elaboration of methodologies for the study manufacturing practices through the disentanglement of their operational sequences (Leroi-Gourhan, 1964; Roux, 2016).

Organizers:
University of Leiden: Natalia Donner, Marlieke Ernst, Loe Jacobs and University of Amsterdam: Caroline Jeffra.

In order to register, please send the following information to Barbara Oosterwijk at b.oosterwijk@arch.leidenuniv.nl before Friday the 20th of October :

1) A brief motivation statement (maximum 500 words).

2) Please mention if you are able to bring ceramic materials for you to study during the workshop.

In case you are not able to attend the full week workshop, Monday lectures will be open for everyone, please send just an email to inform us of your attendance.