On the Method of Study Vessels’ Shapes From Archeological Excavations

he author puts forward an original procedure of earthenware shapes study. Presentment of the procedure is prefaced by a big review of procedures and methods of analytical study of vessel shapes that exist in the Russian and foreign science. Along with the review principal methods are not just described but efficiency of these methods is analyzed. In result, the author concludes that, within analytical approach to earthenware shapes study, rather stable opinions on the prospects of vessels and their separate parts comparison with geometrical bodies emerged. The common characteristic of all these methods is the approach to vessel shapes study from positions of formal analysis. The procedure put forward by the author is based on perception of vessel shapes as the materialized result of a certain system of a potter’s physical efforts (compression, extension and lifting of clay during pottery making) distribution. Analysis of this system of a potter’s physical efforts distribution allows distinguishing the natural earthenware shapes structure. Places where a potter applied the particular force are marked with points of the greatest local flexure. These points represent borders of functional parts of a vessel consisting of functional parts. Since all earthenware vessels have some asymmetry, methods of this asymmetry elimination by way of the average contour of a vessel drawing are specially discussed in the article. The suggested procedure of vessel shapes analysis differs from all earlier ones because it considers vessels not as certain geometry creations but as materialized results produced by labor physiology of particular potters’ labor. The author holds that procedures and methods of vessels production study as a peculiar source of historical information should rest on this informal ground.