Concise Manual for Ceramic Studies
From the Nile Valley to the Middle East
This manual is intended to accompany the training of future ceramic specialists in the Arab world. Resulting from the collaboration of four major institutions of French archaeology abroad: the Section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan (Sfdas), the Institut français d’Archéologie orientale (Ifao), the Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo) and the Centre français de recherche de la péninsule arabique (Cefrepa), it draws on the recent work of specialists from the Nile Valley,...
Note de l’éditeur
This book has benefited from the financial support of the Section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan (Sfdas) which funded the editing and the printing of the volume.
The Institut français d’archéologie orientale (Ifao), the Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo) and the Centre français de recherche de la péninsule Arabique (Cefrepa) funded the Arabic translation.
Open Data Linked to the Publication
“Concise Manual for Ceramic Studies: Documents.” https://nakala.fr/collection/10.34847/nkl.9ba2byj4
This collection contains the original forms presented in this book, which can be freely used and reproduced for ceramic studies.
Éditeur : Africae, Soleb
Lieu d’édition : Paris ; Khartoum ; Nairobi
Publication sur OpenEdition Books : 3 juillet 2023
ISBN numérique : 978-2-493207-10-4
DOI : 10.4000/books.africae.5605
Collection : Africae Studies
Année d’édition : 2022
Nombre de pages : 167
Romain David et Mustafa Ahmad
AcknowledgementsI. The First Steps on the Field
Valentina Vezzoli et Saskia Buechner-Matthews
I.1 Definition of Methodology according to the Archaeological ContextSaskia Buechner-Matthews et Valentina Vezzoli
I.2 Management of the Ceramics during FieldworkSaskia Buechner-Matthews
I.3 Storage and Conservation StrategyII. Ceramic Classification
Steven Matthews
II.1 Classification: the Language of ObservationSaskia Buechner-Matthews et Anne Benoist
II.2 Field Sorting Pottery GroupsBettina Bader et Mary Ownby
II.3. The Pottery FabricsLara Maritan et Mary Ownby
II.4 Ceramic Laboratory AnalysesElsa Jadot
II.5 The Concept of “Chaîne Opératoire”Katarzyna Danys et Bogusław Franczyk
II.6 Ethnoarchaeology and Experimental ArchaeologyIII. Documentation of the Assemblages
Romain David et Saskia Buechner-Matthews
III.1 QuantificationValentina Vezzoli et Saskia Buechner-Matthews
III.2 Selection of Forms to be RecordedKatarzyna Danys et Saskia Buechner-Matthews
III.3 Numbering the ObjectsValentina Vezzoli et Saskia Buechner-Matthews
III.4 Ceramic DescriptionSaskia Buechner-Matthews et Romain David
III.5 Drawing and PhotographyIV. Computerisation of the Documentation
Saskia Buechner-Matthews et Romain David
IV.1 Vector Drawing Programs and Publication of Archaeological DrawingsMustafa Ahmad
IV.2 Quantitative Analysis with ExcelKatarzyna Danys et Mustafa Ahmad
IV.3 Management of the Documentation through DatabasesV. Various Approaches of the Ceramic Documentation
Julia Budka
V.2 Highlighting Economic and Cultural ExchangesAgnès Vokaer
V.3 Identifying Patterns of ProductionPatrick E. McGovern
V.4 Vessel Contents as Revealed by Organic Residue AnalysisUlrike Nowotnick et Steven Matthews
V.5 From Sherds to Food Traditions: Determining Ancient Vessel FunctionVI. Ceramic Studies in French Institutes Abroad
Romain David
VI.1 Sudan: The Sfdas and Meroitic Ceramic StudiesSylvie Marchand
VI.2 Egypt: The Ceramic Laboratory of the IfaoValentina Vezzoli et Dominique Pieri
VI.3 Lebanon: Ceramics from the Islamic Period at the IfpoMaria-Paola Pellegrino et Anne Benoist
VI.4 Arabian Peninsula: a Ceramic Study Programme at the CefrepaThis manual is intended to accompany the training of future ceramic specialists in the Arab world. Resulting from the collaboration of four major institutions of French archaeology abroad: the Section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan (Sfdas), the Institut français d’Archéologie orientale (Ifao), the Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo) and the Centre français de recherche de la péninsule arabique (Cefrepa), it draws on the recent work of specialists from the Nile Valley, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula to shed light on the theoretical reflections that have enriched ceramic studies in recent decades. Providing a genuine field tool, this volume is nonetheless a skilfully illustrated collection of the contribution of ceramic studies to the understanding of human history.
This is the English version of the manual. The bilingual version (English / Arabic) is available here: https://page.hn/yq8gch.
Romain David (dir.)
Researcher, Section française de la direction des Antiquités du Soudan, Khartoum, Sudan.

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