Abstract

The study of ceramic technology has become a common way to approach the economical, social and cultural aspects of pottery. However too often, the use of the term «technology» is being limited to the study of techniques in their mechanical and functional dimensions. On the other hand, if technology is being refered to as the interaction of materials, tools and gestures, it permits to deal with all the decision making processes.which underlie the ceramic production. The technological study of two Neolithic ceramic assemblages from South-eastern Italy is thus aiming at a better understanding of the various modalities involved in making pots. By using the operational concept of the chaîne opératoire, each stage of the ceramic production is being studied in order to identify the processes and decisions made by the potters to achieve a common goal.