From potters’ hands to settlement dynamics in the Early Neolithic site of Cuiry-lès-Chaudardes (Picardy, France)

Abstract

The paper follows on from a joint research project on the ceramics from the late LBK settlement of Cuiry-lès-Chaudardes, Picardy region, north-eastern France. In the course of this project, studies on raw materials, manufacturing sequences and decoration techniques have revealed a wide variety of technical practices throughout the occupation of the site. Most recently, analysis of variations in raw materials and tempers in relation to manufacturing sequences revealed that production was mostly carried out at house level, with the producers in each house implementing their own clay recipe and pot-forming method. Here we extend this research by comparing data on pot-forming and decoration at Cuiry-lès-Chaudardes. In this new study, no obvious relationships could be observed between pottery manufacturing sequences and decoration. However, comparison of the various house assemblages indicates a possible link between atypical decoration (i.e. non-local LBK styles) and exogenous pot-forming methods. Although requiring validation on a larger sample of ceramic assemblages from other sites, these preliminary observations provide some new insights into the complex dynamics at play in LBK settlements.