Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs

In this article, we study the role played by pottery production in the transition from Early Neolithic to Middle Neolithic in Western Iberia (∼4500–3300 cal BC) based on a critical analysis of the available empirical data. We establish a chronological and cultural sequence for this period, regarding...

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Autor principal:	Neves César
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	De Gruyter 2021
Materias:	middle neolithic pottery decoration undecorated pottery incised line below the rim Archaeology CC1-960
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/9a6a75a14c754184bc86bbffd042b329
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:9a6a75a14c754184bc86bbffd042b329
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:9a6a75a14c754184bc86bbffd042b3292021-12-05T14:10:59ZDecorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs2300-656010.1515/opar-2020-0171https://doaj.org/article/9a6a75a14c754184bc86bbffd042b3292021-08-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2020-0171https://doaj.org/toc/2300-6560In this article, we study the role played by pottery production in the transition from Early Neolithic to Middle Neolithic in Western Iberia (∼4500–3300 cal BC) based on a critical analysis of the available empirical data. We establish a chronological and cultural sequence for this period, regarding which the historical problematic is still poorly defined due to a lasting absence of scientific discussion about the long Neolithisation process. During the evolved Early Neolithic (∼5200–4500 cal BC), archeological record shows regional specificities and cultural identities in human groups occupying a vast territory. Pottery collections evidence the strong social importance of decorative grammars, marked by a wide variety of techniques and decorative patterns. In quantitative terms, decorated vessels largely prevail over undecorated vessels. However, in the following chrono-cultural phase, the Initial Middle Neolithic (∼4500–3700 cal BC), it starts an increasing prevalence of undecorated vessels over decorated. Decorative systems prefer the incision technique to impression (dominant in the Early Neolithic). Recurrent use of an incised motif called incised line below the rim. In this period, this type of decoration prevails in the set of decorated pottery and is found in different geographic contexts. This adds consistency to the interpretation according to which the same artifact collections are found in all settlements of the initial Middle Neolithic. Finally, by the time of the first-known Megalithic burials – Full Moment of the Middle Neolithic (3700–3300 cal BC) – the decorative grammars almost disappear from pottery sets, which became more “common” and missed some of their symbolic and social meaning. Undecorated vessels prevail even more strongly than in the previous period.Neves CésarDe Gruyterarticlemiddle neolithicpottery decorationundecorated potteryincised line below the rimArchaeologyCC1-960ENOpen Archaeology, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 848-867 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	middle neolithic pottery decoration undecorated pottery incised line below the rim Archaeology CC1-960
spellingShingle	middle neolithic pottery decoration undecorated pottery incised line below the rim Archaeology CC1-960 Neves César Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs
description	In this article, we study the role played by pottery production in the transition from Early Neolithic to Middle Neolithic in Western Iberia (∼4500–3300 cal BC) based on a critical analysis of the available empirical data. We establish a chronological and cultural sequence for this period, regarding which the historical problematic is still poorly defined due to a lasting absence of scientific discussion about the long Neolithisation process. During the evolved Early Neolithic (∼5200–4500 cal BC), archeological record shows regional specificities and cultural identities in human groups occupying a vast territory. Pottery collections evidence the strong social importance of decorative grammars, marked by a wide variety of techniques and decorative patterns. In quantitative terms, decorated vessels largely prevail over undecorated vessels. However, in the following chrono-cultural phase, the Initial Middle Neolithic (∼4500–3700 cal BC), it starts an increasing prevalence of undecorated vessels over decorated. Decorative systems prefer the incision technique to impression (dominant in the Early Neolithic). Recurrent use of an incised motif called incised line below the rim. In this period, this type of decoration prevails in the set of decorated pottery and is found in different geographic contexts. This adds consistency to the interpretation according to which the same artifact collections are found in all settlements of the initial Middle Neolithic. Finally, by the time of the first-known Megalithic burials – Full Moment of the Middle Neolithic (3700–3300 cal BC) – the decorative grammars almost disappear from pottery sets, which became more “common” and missed some of their symbolic and social meaning. Undecorated vessels prevail even more strongly than in the previous period.
format	article
author	Neves César
author_facet	Neves César
author_sort	Neves César
title	Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs
title_short	Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs
title_full	Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs
title_fullStr	Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs
title_full_unstemmed	Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs
title_sort	decorated or undecorated: analysis of the early-middle neolithic transition in western iberia through the ceramic’s stylist techniques and decorative motifs
publisher	De Gruyter
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/9a6a75a14c754184bc86bbffd042b329
work_keys_str_mv	AT nevescesar decoratedorundecoratedanalysisoftheearlymiddleneolithictransitioninwesterniberiathroughtheceramicsstylisttechniquesanddecorativemotifs
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Decorated or Undecorated: Analysis of the Early-Middle Neolithic Transition in Western Iberia Through the Ceramic’s Stylist Techniques and Decorative Motifs

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