V.5 From Sherds to Food Traditions: Determining Ancient Vessel Function

Ulrike Nowotnick et Steven Matthews

p. 114-118


Texte intégral

1The study of vessel use or “function” plays an important role in the investigation of ancient ceramics, helping to understand how pottery vessels were used in day-to-day activities. Increasingly, archaeologists use these functional aspects to investigate ceramic use in food preparation, cooking, and consumption. These activities were integral parts of the social and cultural life of past societies, complimenting traditional studies of subsistence and production. The preparation and consumption of food serves not only fundamental human needs in terms of nutrition but also reflects cultural, social, economic and personal circumstances. Pottery is an ideal medium to investigate these foodways, given their archaeological ubiquity and durability that make them one of the best surviving bodies of evidence for past culinary traditions.

2Here we will review some of the approaches and techniques used in the study of these ancient food practices by the project “Connecting Foodways: Cultural Entanglement and Technological Transmission between the Middle Nile valley and central and eastern Africa during the Early Iron Age” (Matthews, Nowotnick 2019).1 This project uses ceramics to study the culinary traditions of sub-Saharan Africa, combining archaeological and laboratory analyses, ethnoarchaeological observations and the study of associated food remains. The main focus, however, is the pottery vessels used in preparing, cooking and serving meals.

Artefact Analysis

3When studying ceramics used in past foodways particular attention is paid to the functional characteristics of pottery vessels, such as morphology and technological aspects, being those attributes which would most likely have had a direct effect on their daily performance.

Vessel Morphology

4The shape and size of a pot often serves an intended function. For example, storage vessels typically have large dimensions and a restricted opening to protect contents against spillage. Pots used in cooking are usually round-based globular vessels, a form which minimises thermal stress and helps distribute heat from the fire (fig. 62). Thus, vessel shape, proportions and capacity are often adapted to suit particular kinds of foodstuffs and cooking practices (cf. Orton et al. 1993, p. 220; Rice 1987, pp. 207-241; Skibo 2013).

Figure 62. Examples of coarse ware cooking pots from Hamadab, Sudan

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Cooking vessels in the Middle Nile valley are typically thin-walled handmade jars of globular shape. The rounded base was often reinforced and textured with finger imprints or basketry impressions to enhance heat resistance and to prolong use-life.

Photo S. Matthews CFW_PH_200215_01, © DAI, Connecting Foodways project.

Materials Analysis of Ceramics

5Laboratory analyses of pottery sherds are a further means to determine function, especially in the study of food technologies. Cooking pots, for example, have to withstand considerable use stress caused by repeated heating which can cause cracks, rendering the pot permeable and thus useless for cooking liquids over a fire. Materials analysis can reveal the performance characteristics of individual pots, providing important information on vessel strength, porosity, water permeability, thermal conductivity and resistance to thermal shock (e.g. Daszkiewicz 2014, pp. 190-191; Skibo 2013). These help to determine if a vessel was better suited for cooking or storage, or for handling dry or liquid foodstuffs.

Production Technology

6The study of pottery fabrics provides important insight into manufacturing choices made by potters when producing vessels for different food-related activities. For instance, pots used for cooking over a fire need to be heat-resistant, whilst containers used for liquids need to be waterproof. Such functional characteristics are achieved through a complex interplay of clay composition and temper, wall thickness, firing conditions and surface treatment (Orton et al. 1993, p. 221). Changes in a single variable during production can have considerable effect on how a pot could later be used. For example, a vessel manufactured with a high quantity of mineral temper such as sand or grog will have a higher resistance against thermal shock (fig. 63). Surface treatments, typically considered decorative, can also affect vessel performance. Smoothing or burnishing compacts the surface and reduces permeability, whilst intentional texturing, such as rouletting, mat impressions or scraping, helps to lower thermal stress by reducing temperature differences between the inner and outer surfaces of a pot (Gibson, Woods 1990, p. 275).

Figure 63. Macro-photo and thin section photo of a handmade vessel used in domestic cooking practices

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The addition of coarse tempering agents such as clay aggregates or grog enhances the heat resistance of the Nile fabric.

Photos: M. Baranowski, G. Schneider; compilation: U. Nowotnick, © DAI, Hamadab project.

Use Traces

7As well as studying form and technology, the use to which a vessel was put often leaves traces of activities, which can be important for determining whether a vessel was employed in culinary tasks, as well as what kinds of activities and foodstuffs were involved.

Use-wear Traces

8Traces of use alteration, such as soot marks, abrasions and surface attrition are direct indicators of culinary activities. These traces deserve close attention and systematic recording as they can reveal patterns of use for specific vessel types. For instance, damage patterns point to mechanical stress, attrition on the inside of a vessel may have been caused by acidic liquids, and the location of burn marks may indicate how a pot was placed in or near the fire, pointing to specific cooking methods (fig. 64).

Figure 64. Base of a handmade cooking pot from el Tuweina, Sudan

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The soot pattern indicates that the bottom of the pot (light grey ashes) was set in embers and the flames were licking at the sides, blackening the outer surface.

Organic Residue Analysis

9The analysis of food traces represents a significant development in the study of pottery. These take the form of both visible macro traces, such as food crusts or spills, and micro traces. Organic residue analysis on the interior of vessels identifies the residues absorbed by the porous structure of the ceramic body. Application of chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) can chemically detect compounds of animal fats, aquatic resources, plant oils and beeswax (Barnard, Eerkens 2017). In combination with stable carbon isotope analysis, carcass fats can be distinguished from dairy fats, like milk. Analysis of these residues provides valuable information on what kinds of foodstuffs may once have been cooked and consumed, as well as the kinds of vessels used in such activities.

Summary

10The detailed study of function can reveal the various uses to which pots were put as part of the culinary traditions of a group or culture. The selection of relevant variables relating to use therefore requires careful consideration. A more systematic concern with the technological and functional aspects of pottery expands the range of most traditional ceramic studies. By combining information on vessel shape, mechanical properties and use-wear traces, a greater appreciation of frequently neglected coarse wares, which typically comprise hand-made kitchenware and cooking pots, can be achieved.

11We have employed these approaches in researching the culinary traditions of northeast Africa, classifying specific pottery types made for distinct cooking practices (fig. 65), the identification of various kinds of kitchen contexts, the use of particular foodstuffs, and shared regional technological traditions (Matthews, Nowotnick 2019; Nowotnick 2022). Hence, an integrated study of kitchenware contributes not only to our understanding of ancient food preparation and consumption, but also offers insight into the social and cultural significance of domestic activities.

Figure 65. Four types of kitchen vessels from the Meroitic town of Hamadab, Sudan

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Four types of kitchen vessels from the Meroitic town of Hamadab, Sudan, have been identified as used in different food-processing technologies by means of functional analysis. Each type has a specific shape, fabric composition and surface treatment, relative to the performance characteristics and intended cooking function.

Drawing, compilation, © U. Nowotnick.

Notes de bas de page

1  Based at the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) in Berlin and funded by the Priority Programme 2143 “Entangled Africa” of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.


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