Reconstructing change in firing technology during the Final Neolithic–Early Bronze Age transition in Phaistos, Crete. Just the tip of the iceberg?

Changes in firing practice have been suggested as representing a revolution in ceramic technology at the beginning of the Bronze Age in Crete. The introduction of kiln structures has been held responsible for such a change, perhaps by newcomers to the island, along with other innovative technologies...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archaeological and anthropological sciences 2019-03, Vol.11 (3), p.871-894
Main Authors: Mentesana, R., Kilikoglou, V., Todaro, S., Day, P. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology
Archaeology
Bronze Age
Changes
Chemistry/Food Science
Dismissal
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Geography
Life Sciences
Neolithic
Newcomers
Original Paper
Technology
Transformation
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Summary:Changes in firing practice have been suggested as representing a revolution in ceramic technology at the beginning of the Bronze Age in Crete. The introduction of kiln structures has been held responsible for such a change, perhaps by newcomers to the island, along with other innovative technologies. However, these hypotheses were often based on limited analytical data and mostly on macroscopic examination. This paper re-examines the suggestion of a transformation in firing technology at the beginning of the Bronze Age by presenting analyses of the rich ceramic assemblage from the site of Phaistos in South-Central Crete, which offers a rare, good stratigraphic sequence from the end of the Final Neolithic into the Early Bronze Age. Here, firing technology is reconstructed by macroscopic examination of colour across vessel breaks, by SEM examination and FT-IR analysis. This allows the reconstruction of temperature ranges and firing rates over the phases considered and a re-assessment of changes in firing technology, revealing a more multi-faceted pattern of change. Finally, changes in firing procedure are contextualised in the overall ceramic operational sequence, revealing a complex, stepped picture of change in ceramic production over the transition from the Final Neolithic.
ISSN:1866-9557
1866-9565
DOI:10.1007/s12520-017-0572-8