Why not let them rest in pieces? Grog‐temper, its provenance and social meanings of recycled ceramics in the Baltic Sea region (2900–2300 BCE)
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Ceramic recycling, that is, using discarded ceramics as raw materials in manufacturing, occurs sporadically in ceramic technologies worldwide. Adding pre‐fired, crushed ceramic fragments, known as grog or chamotte, to clay can improve the manufacturing process and product performance (e.g., thermal‐shock resistance). In ethnographic ceramic traditions, ceramic recycling also conveys various social meanings relating to identity, kinship and ancestry. However, ‘foreign’‐origin grog complicates scientific provenancing of archaeological ceramic fabrics. This study investigates the geochemical discrimination of grog and grog‐tempered Corded Ware Culture pottery (c.2900–2300 BCE), and the possible social signals produced by ceramic recycling in the Baltic Sea region.
Source: Archaeometry
DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12727
Author: Elisabeth Holmqvist
Institution: University of Helsinki
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Academy of Finland
Award: G8122117733
OpenAlex ID: W3206875225