| Abstract: |
Papers from a 1980 colloquium in Southampton concerned mainly with studying the organization of pottery production within its social context, the mechanisms of distribution, etc. H Howard (1-30) presents a case study to show that ceramic manufacture, vessel function, and craft specialization can be studied in prehistoric British contexts. A Ellison (45-55) considers prehistoric British ceramic exchange in comparison with non-ceramic exchange, and identifies three distinct levels of distribution related to socio-economic change. Three different types of ceramics in western Britain are used by E L Morris (67-81) to identify several modes of exchange. For the Roman period, D F Williams (123-32) examines the distribution and origin of Roman amphorae in late Iron Age Britain and the socio-economic implications of their presence - while D P S Peacock (187-94) illustrates a number of modes of production from present-day Europe and the Mediterranean to suggest some Roman analogies. M Fulford (195-208) uses ceramic evidence to re-examine the impact of the Roman administration of Britain on native exchange systems and the development of a money-using economy (taxation included). Late Roman production and trade are C J Young's subject (209-14). Ian Hodder, using Sudanese ethnoarchaeological evidence, emphasizes that cultural choice often overrides environmental factors (215-20). Moving on to the Saxon period, M A Brisbane (229-42) discusses incipient markets for early AS ceramics, using petrological analysis to develop a model of specialist exchange leading to markets; and C J Arnold (243-55) outlines a methodology, based on comparing petrological and typological studies, for work on early AS funerary and domestic pottery in relation to chronology and distribution. A G Vince (309-22) moves to the medieval period in S England, also using petrological analysis to map medieval pottery groups, identify clusters of production sites, and show that technological change relates to economic change. A D F Streeten (323-4) examines craft and industry in SE England: the availability of raw materials and potential customers can be assessed, and historical sources used to reconstruct marketing areas. S E Van der Leeuw (361-86) suggests that the transition between modes of pottery making should be studied on a 'flow structure' model rather than a homeostatic systems model. Remaining papers deal with studies originating in data from USA, Africa, India, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, and the Maya. |
