Thread by @jens2go

Maybe fuelled by recent claims that #Neolithic hunters were too "simple" and thus not capable of cultural achievements, there seems to be a misunderstanding about the "#pottery" part in #PrePotteryNeolithic (PPN).

They actually *did* use vessels. Just other vessels.

A short 🧵:

Well known and clearly associated with #PrePotteryNeolithic contexts are e.g. #StoneVessels from different places like #KörtikTepe in Turkey or #JerfElAhmar and #TellAbr in Syria as well as (often fragmented though) many more related sites (including Göbekli Tepe by the way).

Bringing up the #GöbekliTepe fragments since they illustrate why finding complete vessels is comparably rare: the material was too valuable to not re-use it.

@lauradietrich_, @odietrich_, & myself discussed the "afterlife" of such #StoneVessels here:

jensnotroff.files.wordpress.com/2020/10/ii.20_…

We also have to consider a variety of other vessels made from material simply not preserved, e.g. leather containers or wood and bark #vessels - like the exceptional examples found with Late Neolithic/Chalcolihtic #Ötzi or the Bronze Age #Egtved Girl's burial in Denmark:

The point is: They could - and *did* make vessels.

Just not pottery vessels. Probably because of the fragility of this material - which may not be the most practical thing for highly mobile people repeatedly packing up all their stuff and moving on to the next place.

#PrePotteryNeolithic hunters likely were aware of these properties - they did experiment w/ related materials, as numerous figurines (e.g. from #NevaliCori), sculptures (e.g. from #AinGhazal), even a few small vessels made of gypsum plaster (e.g. from #Karahantepe) demonstrate.

Even more: Already in their seminal works on #Neolithic #lime and #gypsum plasters, Kingery et al. (quite fittingly) described this technology as "The Beginnings of #Pyrotechnology" (J. Field Arch. 2(1/2), 1975 + J. Field Arch. 15, 1988):

repository.si.edu/bitstream/hand…

The term #PrePotteryNeolithic was coined by K. Kenyon at the type site of #Jericho (Tell es-Sultan) to distinguish #Neolithic layers lacking any pottery from those w/ such implements.

It thus is a technical classification applying to this specific region - not a cultural stage.

In fact do we indeed know of earlier examples for #pottery. Pottery #vessels - e.g. from Siberia, Japan, Korea, and China - dating as far back as 18,000 years.

Interestingly often associated with hunter-fisher cultures (with a lower degree of mobility).

science.org/content/articl…

Further referenced sources:

researchgate.net/publication/32…

iceman.it/de/ausruestung

en.natmus.dk/historical-kno…

researchgate.net/publication/32…

web.archive.org/web/2008051105…



pnas.org/doi/full/10.10…

researchgate.net/publication/22…

scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/cor…

Thanks for your great feedback! Happily taking up some of the suggestions:

#Gourds e.g. has been pointed out as another organic vessel resource - not leaving much of a trace in the archaeological record. W/ view to ethnographic analogies this indeed has to be considered as well.

As well as #basketry. In fact, some ornaments on early pottery vessels do indeed seem to somehow reproduce the appearance of woven surfaces.

Here some breathtakingly well preserved examples from #Neolithic #Spain (with thanks to @AlisonFisk):

https://twitter.com/AlisonFisk/status/1536775778423250944?s=20&t=ApmqF_rROVEVOqN-B7LBJg

And not to forget #OstrichEggs! Many known finds of vessels made out of such eggs, with a wide geographic and chronological variety - including e.g. Neolithic Jordan, Sudan, predynastic Egypt and many more. Well into recent history.

The path to #pottery (vessel) production really is a fascinating cultural development.

A recent volume on "The Emergence of Pottery in West Asia" (eds. A. Tsuneki, O. Nieuwenhuyse, & St. Campbell, Oxbow 2017) gives an overview on the current discussion:

oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/the-emer…

Olivier Nieuwenhuyse's and Stuart Campbell's synthesis on "The Emergence of #Pottery in #WestAsia" in the same volume e.g. makes a great introductory evening reading:

academia.edu/36640138/Synth…