Technical marks as a neglected archaeological record? Photogrammetric analysis of the bottoms of vessels from Great Moravian pottery workshops at the ‘U Víta’ site in Staré Město (Uherské Hradiště district)

Abstract

The work presents possible alternatives in approaching the evaluation of assemblages of pottery vessels with marks on their bottoms. By means of an analysis of a sample group from two assumed pottery workshops from the ‘U Víta’ site in Staré Město (Uherské Hradiště district), the benefits of the method of photogrammetric documentation are illustrated and records from the virtual environment are subsequently compared. The possibilities for the virtual comparison of archaeological material are tested not only on traditionally evaluated marks with relief symbols, but also on heretofore neglected axis imprints (technical marks) as well as some other additional unintentional imprints. Based in the obtained results, the work then considers the possible level of production organisation at both of the studied workshops.