Technological Styles of Eastern Tigray Potters: A Chaîne Opératoire Approach to the Selection of Raw Materials and Paste Preparation.

The technological choices of potters are affected by a number of functional and social factors which operate at all stages of ceramic production. This paper will focus specifically on the choices involved in the first two steps of pottery fabrication: selection of raw materials and paste preparation. The Edagahamus area in eastern Tigray, Ethiopia has been an important centre for the production of blackwares for the last century. These blackwares are quite distinct from ceramics produced in neighbouring areas. Furthermore, there are some unique production techniques used by these potters which have not been recorded in any other part of the world. The potters in eastern Tigray use large quantities of talc and schist temper in their ceramic vessels, in particular, griddles have been documented to contain up to 80% temper. Additionally, some of the potters in eastern Tigray boil the clay in the paste preparation stage of pottery production. In order to explain these unusual technological choices I will use the chaîne opératoire method as it allows for an understanding of the social and functional choices of the potters at each stage in the sequence of pottery production. Preliminary results from laboratory research and one season of ethnoarchaeological field work will be presented.