The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers

Ekaterina Dolbunova; Alexandre Jules Andre Lucquin; Rowan McLaughlin; Manon Bondetti; Blandine Courel; Ester Oras; Henny Piezonka; Harry Kenneth Robson; Helen M. Talbot; Kamil Adamczak; Konstantin Andreev; Vitali  Asheichyk; Maxim Charniauski; Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny; Igor Ezepenko; Tatjana Grechkina; Alise Gunnarssone; Tatyana M. Gusentsova; Dmytro Haskevych; Marina Ivanischeva; Jacek Kabaciński; Viktor Karmanov; Natalia Kosorukova; Elena Kostyleva; Aivar Kriiska; Stanisław Kukawka; Olga Lozovskaya; Andrey Mazurkevich; Nadezhda Nedomolkina; Gytis  Piličiauskas; Galina Sinitsyna; Andrey Skorobogatov; Roman V.  Smolyaninov; Aleksey Surkov; Oleg Tkachov; Maryia Tkachova; Andrey Tsybrij; Viktor Tsybrij; Aleksandr A. Vybornov; Adam Wawrusiewicz; Aleksandr I.  Yudin; John Meadows; Carl P. Heron; Oliver Edward Craig

doi:10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8

The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers

Ekaterina Dolbunova, Alexandre Jules Andre Lucquin, Rowan McLaughlin, Manon Bondetti, Blandine Courel, Ester Oras, Henny Piezonka, Harry Kenneth Robson, Helen M. Talbot, Kamil Adamczak, Konstantin Andreev, Vitali Asheichyk, Maxim Charniauski, Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny, Igor Ezepenko, Tatjana Grechkina, Alise Gunnarssone, Tatyana M. Gusentsova, Dmytro Haskevych, Marina IvanischevaJacek Kabaciński, Viktor Karmanov, Natalia Kosorukova, Elena Kostyleva, Aivar Kriiska, Stanisław Kukawka, Olga Lozovskaya, Andrey Mazurkevich, Nadezhda Nedomolkina, Gytis Piličiauskas, Galina Sinitsyna, Andrey Skorobogatov, Roman V. Smolyaninov, Aleksey Surkov, Oleg Tkachov, Maryia Tkachova, Andrey Tsybrij, Viktor Tsybrij, Aleksandr A. Vybornov, Adam Wawrusiewicz, Aleksandr I. Yudin, John Meadows, Carl P. Heron, Oliver Edward Craig

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	171-183
Number of pages	16
Journal	Nature Human Behaviour
Volume	7
Early online date	22 Dec 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2023

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8Licence: CC BY

Dolbunova et al. 2022
© The Author(s) 2022
Final published version, 4.05 MBLicence: CC BY

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01491-8#Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Dolbunova, E., Lucquin, A. J. A., McLaughlin, R., Bondetti, M., Courel, B., Oras, E., Piezonka, H., Robson, H. K., Talbot, H. M., Adamczak, K., Andreev, K., Asheichyk, V., Charniauski, M., Czekaj-Zastawny, A., Ezepenko, I., Grechkina, T., Gunnarssone, A., Gusentsova, T. M., Haskevych, D., ... Craig, O. E. (2023). The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers. Nature Human Behaviour, 7, 171-183. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8

@article{a3540de6bca148f4b2af488a846a8306,

title = "The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers",

abstract = "Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.",

author = "Ekaterina Dolbunova and Lucquin, {Alexandre Jules Andre} and Rowan McLaughlin and Manon Bondetti and Blandine Courel and Ester Oras and Henny Piezonka and Robson, {Harry Kenneth} and Talbot, {Helen M.} and Kamil Adamczak and Konstantin Andreev and Vitali Asheichyk and Maxim Charniauski and Agnieszka Czekaj-Zastawny and Igor Ezepenko and Tatjana Grechkina and Alise Gunnarssone and Gusentsova, {Tatyana M.} and Dmytro Haskevych and Marina Ivanischeva and Jacek Kabaci{\'n}ski and Viktor Karmanov and Natalia Kosorukova and Elena Kostyleva and Aivar Kriiska and Stanis{\l}aw Kukawka and Olga Lozovskaya and Andrey Mazurkevich and Nadezhda Nedomolkina and Gytis Pili{\v c}iauskas and Galina Sinitsyna and Andrey Skorobogatov and Smolyaninov, {Roman V.} and Aleksey Surkov and Oleg Tkachov and Maryia Tkachova and Andrey Tsybrij and Viktor Tsybrij and Vybornov, {Aleksandr A.} and Adam Wawrusiewicz and Yudin, {Aleksandr I.} and John Meadows and Heron, {Carl P.} and Craig, {Oliver Edward}",

note = "{\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2022",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

pages = "171--183",

journal = "Nature Human Behaviour",

issn = "2397-3374",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

Dolbunova, E, Lucquin, AJA, McLaughlin, R, Bondetti, M, Courel, B, Oras, E, Piezonka, H, Robson, HK, Talbot, HM, Adamczak, K, Andreev, K, Asheichyk, V, Charniauski, M, Czekaj-Zastawny, A, Ezepenko, I, Grechkina, T, Gunnarssone, A, Gusentsova, TM, Haskevych, D, Ivanischeva, M, Kabaciński, J, Karmanov, V, Kosorukova, N, Kostyleva, E, Kriiska, A, Kukawka, S, Lozovskaya, O, Mazurkevich, A, Nedomolkina, N, Piličiauskas, G, Sinitsyna, G, Skorobogatov, A, Smolyaninov, RV, Surkov, A, Tkachov, O, Tkachova, M, Tsybrij, A, Tsybrij, V, Vybornov, AA, Wawrusiewicz, A, Yudin, AI, Meadows, J, Heron, CP & Craig, OE 2023, 'The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers', Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 7, pp. 171-183. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - The transmission of pottery technology among prehistoric European hunter-gatherers

AU - Dolbunova, Ekaterina

AU - Lucquin, Alexandre Jules Andre

AU - McLaughlin, Rowan

AU - Bondetti, Manon

AU - Courel, Blandine

AU - Oras, Ester

AU - Piezonka, Henny

AU - Robson, Harry Kenneth

AU - Talbot, Helen M.

AU - Adamczak, Kamil

AU - Andreev, Konstantin

AU - Asheichyk, Vitali

AU - Charniauski, Maxim

AU - Czekaj-Zastawny, Agnieszka

AU - Ezepenko, Igor

AU - Grechkina, Tatjana

AU - Gunnarssone, Alise

AU - Gusentsova, Tatyana M.

AU - Haskevych, Dmytro

AU - Ivanischeva, Marina

AU - Kabaciński, Jacek

AU - Karmanov, Viktor

AU - Kosorukova, Natalia

AU - Kostyleva, Elena

AU - Kriiska, Aivar

AU - Kukawka, Stanisław

AU - Lozovskaya, Olga

AU - Mazurkevich, Andrey

AU - Nedomolkina, Nadezhda

AU - Piličiauskas, Gytis

AU - Sinitsyna, Galina

AU - Skorobogatov, Andrey

AU - Smolyaninov, Roman V.

AU - Surkov, Aleksey

AU - Tkachov, Oleg

AU - Tkachova, Maryia

AU - Tsybrij, Andrey

AU - Tsybrij, Viktor

AU - Vybornov, Aleksandr A.

AU - Wawrusiewicz, Adam

AU - Yudin, Aleksandr I.

AU - Meadows, John

AU - Heron, Carl P.

AU - Craig, Oliver Edward

PY - 2023/2/1

Y1 - 2023/2/1

N2 - Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.

AB - Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.

U2 - 10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8

DO - 10.1038/s41562-022-01491-8

M3 - Article

SN - 2397-3374

VL - 7

SP - 171

EP - 183

JO - Nature Human Behaviour

JF - Nature Human Behaviour

ER -