The Organization of Pottery Production: Toward a Relational Approach

Abstract

A brief discussion of two traditional approaches in the study of pottery production

organization, ceramic ecology and typologies of production, identifies several key

problems. In order to move forward and develop new strategies, it is proposed to adopt a symmetrical perspective, integrating methods and concepts from a variety of theoretical origins, including chaîne opératoire, object biography, relevant user groups or cadena, and entanglement. A brief case study outlining a proposed strategy for a relational approach to the study of ceramic production organization concludes the chapter.