Beyond Ceramic Product
Large-Scale Pottery Production and the Construction of Labour Networks in Mesopotamia (4th–3rd Millennium BCE)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6444446 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claire Padovani (0000-0001-5983-9191, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Pages | 99-118 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Paléorient (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0153-9345 • E-ISSN: 1957-701X |
| Publisher | OpenEdition (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.4000/15apm |
| OpenAlex | W4417117518 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 46 |
This paper investigates large-scale pottery production organisation in Mesopotamia during the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE through spatial analysis, providing new evidence on the formation and evolution of labour networks. It examines the interplay between urbanisation and the rise of centralised authority in the upscaling of pottery production. High demand for ceramic products can be addressed through various strategies, such as segmentation or integration of productive labour, visible by the dispersion, concentration or combination of production facilities. While urbanisation appears to have dispersed potters across urban peripheries for practical reasons, the clustering of producers in shared areas was probably favoured by a central authority, and possibly served as a means of shaping territory and asserting control over labour networks and kinship ties. In the 3rd millennium BCE, the potters’ strategies for organising production, building on regionally inherited traditions, also contributed to structuring and consolidating these labour networks
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |