Στοιχεία επιβλεπόντων καθηγητών:
Yiannis Papadatos: Associate Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology
Eleni Mantzourani: Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology
Georgios Vavouranakis: Associate Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology
Περίληψη:
The aim of the present study is to introduce the adoption of the pottery wheel in Crete as not only an important technological advancement, but a key to understanding discrete cultural intricacies within Minoan Crete. The spread of the pottery wheel occurred over a period of about 800 years, between 2300 B.C.-1500 B.C., and its use throughout Crete was especially uniform, a point which will be discussed at length in the upcoming chapters. At present, there is extensive research regarding socio-technical theory, and there exists an overwhelming amount of material on the subject of Minoan pottery. Additionally, while some experimental research exploring the use of the pottery wheel and the building methods associated with this period has been performed by Corbetta, Evely, Jeffra, Morrison, and Roux, the results are preliminary and must be incorporated into the oeuvre of research on the subject as a whole. Furthermore, the majority of experimental research would benefit through cooperation between Archaeologists and modern potters such as those at Thrapsanos in eastern Crete, as the current experimental results do not meet the quality of ceramic product needed for analysis. This study attempts to bridge the gap between research published by pottery experts such as Evely, Knappett, Rice, and Roux and the socio-technical experts such as Binford, Lemonnier, Pelegrin, Pfaffenberger, and Wenger by analyzing primary formation methods in ceramic production using the pottery wheel as evidence for gradually increasing technical elasticity in a culture which previously exhibits rigidity.
The goal of this study is not to address the phenomena of the physical appearance of the pottery wheel in Crete, for without the supporting data there is only room for speculation. Instead, the main purpose of this paper is to answer the following questions: how this culture accepted the innovation, the ways in which craftsmen adapted to foreign techniques, how long this process took, and what all of this information can tell us about the culture. In order to answer these questions, I adopt an a posteriori lens with which I examine the direct evidence: the pottery wheels, and indirect evidence: traces left on pottery showing the use of rotation (i.e. the use of pottery wheels).
Λέξεις-κλειδιά:
Bronze Age Aegean, Minoan, Crete, Pottery, Craft Specialization, Technological Theory, Ceramic Production, Pottery Wheel, Innovation, Technology
