Painted by fire: an investigation of Predynastic black-topped pottery

<p>This research adopts a multi-proxy approach to the study of black-topped pottery, exploring its manufacture and use to assess early ceramic craft specialisation in Predynastic Egypt. Through experimental archaeology and materials analysis, the <em>chaîne opératoire </em>of making and firing techniques used for black-topped pottery finds how Predynastic craft specialists produced black-topped pottery. Previous firing experiments have generally included modern equipment, notably electric kilns. The current experimental firings reproduce black-topped pottery using manufacture and firing methods, equipment, and tools that were available to Predynastic people, to replicate their technologies more authentically. Experimental pots are hand-made, burnished, then finished in a single, solid fuel firing. The possible development of kilns to fire between 800–900°C is found. Red-polished pots were produced in the same firing, an untried technique that has previously been hypothesised.</p> <p>Experimental archaeology is supplemented by detailed examination of a museum corpus of black-topped pots. Use-wear on the corpus is characterised and found to be consistent with beer-related activities, confirming recent residue studies. Non-destructive, portable spectroscopy analysis of black-topped pottery is used for the first time. XRF finds a clear distinction between fabric and slip ingredients that were chosen for their performance properties by Predynastic potters. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy is used to identify post-firing treatments, finding carbon included in the black areas, and a shellac coating on one corpus pot, while confirming use of hematite in the slips. This research increases our understanding of Predynastic technologies and craft specialisation by demonstrating a development in kiln technologies, and finding links between black-topped pottery and beer-related crafts and activities.</p>