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Identification of the Chaînes Opératoires

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Ceramics and Society

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Abstract

Chapter 3 follows on as a logical suite to Chap. 2 by explicating the diagnostic traits that allow for the identification of the chaînes opératoires with the practical aim of training archaeologists in their reading of the archaeological material. It presents the significant surface features and microfabrics highlighted during the course of experiments and ethnographic observations. Whether they are from the specialized literature or new experiments, the description of these traces is carried out using new analytical grids. These are based on a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying the transformation of clay materials exposed to different constraints. These grids were developed in collaboration with the field of geoscience. At the end of this chapter, it becomes possible to analyze the ceramic material using different scales of observation and to identify the significant surface features and microstructures of the main techniques used. This approach paves the way for future experiments in order to improve our understanding of the singular traces present on any archaeological material.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    All of these experiments were conducted at the experimental center of Lejre (Denmark).

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  1. Préhistoire & Technologie, UMR 7055, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Nanterre, France

    Valentine Roux

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Roux, V. (2019). Identification of the Chaînes Opératoires . In: Ceramics and Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03973-8_3

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