The Many Lives of Greek Bronze Age Tablewares: Studying Pottery Through Use-Wear Analysis

Among the most discussed changes which occurred in mainland Greece from the end of the Early Bronze Age to the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age (2350-1800 BCE) are how the pottery used for eating and drinking shifted. From “sauceboats” to “ouzo cups,” we see dramatic and rapid shifts in both the number and types of shapes in use. While much ink has been spilled regarding the chronologies and interconnections seen through these changes, much less attention has been focused on their actual lifetimes of use as dishes. In this talk Buck will discuss his ongoing dissertation research into eating and drinking practices as seen through pottery during this time period at sites in the northeastern Peloponnese and in the Saronic Gulf and how these practices appear to have changed. His work for the past two years has primarily been through use-alteration analysis, the close examination of the wear and degradation on these pots from their lifetimes of use – direct signs of how people were interacting with their pots. This methodology, drawing from the work of Michael Schiffer, James Skibo, and Laura Banducci, can provide novel and sometimes surprising insights into the ways people were interacting with their pots and, through them, each other.