Professor Vin Steponaitis

• Office: Alumni Building, Room 108
• Hours: Tu, Th 11-12, and by appointment (email or call 962-6574)
• Email: vin@unc.edu

Course Description:  This course focuses on ancient ceramic technologies and how they can be reconstructed archaeologically. Methods related to the study of ceramic technology are stressed.

Course Structure:  There will be two meetings per week. In general, each topic will be covered with one or more lectures, followed by a lab designed to give you some practical experience. Sessions will be informal, hopefully with lots of verbal give-and-take. You will also select an independent project, on which you will present an oral report and write a paper.

Meeting Times:  The course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45 pm, in Alumni 404.

Course Requirements:  In addition to the assigned readings, requirements include periodic lab assignments (30%), oral reports and class participation (10%), a term paper (30%), and a final exam (30%). Class participation is essential. It will be taken into account by reducing your grade 10% for each unexcused absence. If you must miss class, please discuss it with me in advance if possible. If this is not possible, then please contact me as soon as possible afterwards. In general, illness or unavoidable family obligations (like weddings) are the only valid reasons for an absence. There will also be at least two, and possibly three field trips to active potteries scheduled on Saturdays, preferably in February.

Course Syllabus and Bibliography:  Click here for a PDF version of the course syllabus, which in turn draws readings from the course bibliography. Not all the readings listed in the bibliography are required. The bibliography can be used as a resource in formulating and pursuing your term paper project.

Course Web Site:  This web site contains not only all the information in the course syllabus, but also "downloadable" versions of all the lab exercises. It will be updated as the semester proceeds.

Honor Code:  Students are expected to adhere to UNC's Honor Code. Note that it is perfectly OK to collaborate on lab assignments, so long as the write-up is your own work.

Textbooks:
Rye, Owen (1981). Pottery Technology, Principles and Reconstruction. Taraxacum.
Sinopoli, Carla (1991). Approaches to Archaeological Ceramics. Plenum. [recommended]

Course Outline

1/12     Introduction
1/19-2/18     Ceramic production: principles and reconstruction
2/23-3/4     Vessel function: analysis of shape and use wear
  [spring break]
3/16     Clay testing
3/18-3/30     Chemical and mineral characterization
4/1-4/13     Special topics (clay testing, use wear, residues, craft specialization, etc.)
4/15     No class (SAA meetings)
4/20-4/27     Student projects: oral reports
5/1     Final exam (noon)
5/5     Paper due (5 pm)

Exercises

Lab Exercise 1.  Identification of Manufacturing Processes. [Key]
Lab Exercise 2.  Identification of Temper and Decorative Technique. [Key]
Lab Exercise 3.  Critical Points in Vessel Profiles. [Key]
Lab Exercise 4.  Rim Diameters and Profiles.
Lab Exercise 5.  Petrographic Observation of Thin Sections.
Lab Exercise 6.  Elemental characterization.

Handouts

Handout 1.  Traditional potters' wheels.
Handout 2.  Throwing a pot; paddle and anvil finishing.
Handout 3.  Munsell system 1.
Handout 4.  Munsell system 2.
Handout 5.  Munsell system 3.
Handout 6.  Vessel and Rim profiles.
Handout 7.  Rim profiles.
Handout 8.  Critical points and vessel sections.
Handout 9.  Rim diameter template.
Handout 10.  Mineral inclusions in Moundville pottery.

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Last modified 3/22/10.