Talks by Chantal Willborn
This paper studies the concept of potter identity/identities through the analysis of the chaîne o... more This paper studies the concept of potter identity/identities through the analysis of the chaîne opératoire concept carried out within the production of storage (pithoi) and transport (amphora) ceramics in the 8th and 7th centuries BC in Southern Italy and Sicily.
Within the colonial phenomena in the Mediterranean, we witness the arrival of the first transport amphorae and Greek pithoi in southern Italy from the first half of the 8th century BC and the local production of these vessels. Within these trans-Mediterranean networks, this paper is dedicated to the analysis of two major deposits, making it possible to articulate ceramic data with the historical-economic and artisanal environment: Incoronata (Basilicata) and Megara Hyblaea (Sicily). On the one hand, the occupation of Incoronata (9th to 7th century BC) was characterized by a chronological period preceding the Greek colonization of the Italian peninsula in an indigenous and Greco-indigenous context, as well as by the artisanal activity of a pottery workshop. On the other hand, the Greek settlement of Megara Hyblaea (founded in 728 BC by Megarians of Greece) provides comparative data to the examination of imported and imitated Greek productions from funeral contexts. As one of the two most important deposits of amphora and pithoi currently known in southern Italy and Sicily, these sites are ideal laboratories for the exploration of the benefits and limitations of a technological study of two types of production, thanks to a mixed approach intersecting archaeology, anthropology and ethnography.
Little included in traditional ceramic studies because of the scarcity of painted decorations, their low variability in shapes and their advanced state of fragmentation, these productions lend themselves particularly well to a technological study on a macro- and micro-scale. The presence of direct and indirect archaeological evidence (firing structures, miss fired ceramics) attest the production of storage vessels on the hill of Incoronata within an indigenous artisanal area active between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. From the 7th century onwards, Greek artisans were welcomed, allowing us to address the problem of the technical identities of their craftsmen with highly specialized and mastered know-how. Likewise, the deposit of Megara Hyblaea makes us discover Greek and Aegean pottery techniques, through imported ceramics, as well as a local signature, thanks to the discovery of vases of Greek inspiration. In contexts of ritual and productive reception, where Greek and non-Greek individuals met, the production technique is studied as the set of choices made by potters – a means of expressing their intellectual baggage, acquired within learning systems specific to a community.
The aim of this intervention is to contribute to the reflection around the construction of craftsmen identities of potter communities in European protohistory through the example of the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, the chosen data set aims to provide new observations for the study of this heuristic terrain within the organisation of Greek and indigenous craft spaces, the transmission of technical traditions, their actors and the practices with which they shape and model their identity/identities.
Appel à communication: Identité et Soi. EEPB Rencontres Doctorales 2024. Call for Papers : Identity and the Self. EEPB Doctoral Meeting 2024, 2023
Les dixièmes Rencontres Doctorales de l'École Européenne de Protohistoire de Bibracte (EEPB) se d... more Les dixièmes Rencontres Doctorales de l'École Européenne de Protohistoire de Bibracte (EEPB) se dérouleront du 14 au 16 mars 2024, suivi par un atelier sur la communication scientifique le 18 mars, au Centre Archéologique Européen de Bibracte en Bourgogne. Depuis 2015, ces Rencontres réunissent des doctorant.e.s et jeunes docteur.e.s travaillant sur des problématiques communes à l'échelle de la Protohistoire européenne. Nous avons le plaisir d'inviter les chercheurs.ses en début de carrière à proposer une contribution sur le thème suivant : "Identité et Soi. Comment l'archéologie crée des identités protohistoriques". Les contributions peuvent être réalisées sous la forme d'une présentation orale (20 minutes) ou d'un poster (présentation orale de 5 minutes) et les propositions doivent être soumises au plus tard le 15 décembre 2023.
The tenth Doctoral Encounters of the European School of Protohistory of Bibracte (EEPB) will take place from 14 to 16 March 2024, followed by a workshop on scientific communication on 18 March, at the European Archaeological Centre of Bibracte in Burgundy. Since 2015, these Meetings have brought together PhD students and young doctors working on research issues common to European Protohistory. We are pleased to invite early career researchers to submit a contribution on the following theme: "Identity and the Self. How archaeology creates protohistorical identities". Contributions may be made in the form of an oral presentation (20 minutes) or a poster (5 minutes oral presentation) and proposals must be submitted no later than December 15, 2023.
L''artisanat de l'argile en Italie méridionale (VIIIe - IIIe s. av. J.-C.)", Naples, 23-24 mars 2023, 2023
La communication porte sur les techniques de production de grands conteneurs (pithoi) issus du ... more La communication porte sur les techniques de production de grands conteneurs (pithoi) issus du site d’Incoronata (Basilicate). Occupée par une communauté oenôtre dans une période comprise entre le IXe et le début du VIIe s. av. J.-C., puis par une communauté gréco-indigène au VIIe s. av. J.-C., ce gisement constitue un laboratoire idéal pour étudier ce type de production sur la longue durée, grâce à un corpus quantitatif et qualitatif très important et en majorité inédit. D’un côté, en effet, des indices archéologiques directs et indirects (structures de cuisson, structures de décantation, rebuts céramiques, indicateurs de production de perirrhanteria) ont permis d’identifier une production de grands conteneurs au sein de l’espace artisanal actif entre le VIIIe et le VIIe s. av. J.-C., présentant des témoignages peu connus de l’artisanat d’argile à ce niveau chronologique. De l’autre, la découverte de pithoi d’importation grecque sur le site reflète les vastes dynamiques économiques et les interactions humaines transméditerranéennes de l’âge du Fer. Des observations technologiques à l’échelle macroscopique (actuellementen cours) ont permis d’identifier plusieurs techniques de façonnage et de finition dans un atelier spécialisé de potiers indigènes au VIIIe s. qui accueillent, à partir du VIIe s. av. J.-C., des artisans grecs. L’étude de la conception de vases de stockage dans cet espace est susceptible de contribuer aux débats sur l’échange et la transmission de savoir-faire artisanaux et techniques au sein d’un cadre géographique et chronologique crucial pour comprendre les systèmes économiques des zones de contacts entre communautés indigènes et grecques à la charnière de la période coloniale de la Grande Grèce. En outre, l’analyse contextuelle du corpus permettra de mettre en évidence leurs différentes fonctionnalités et sphères de réception, allant bien au-delà de leur utilisation première –le stockage –en interférant aussi bien dans la sphère cérémonielle intercommunautaire (recyclage, transformations physiques et volontaires des vases). L’intervention a pour objectif de s’inscrire dans les thématiques de la session 2 (objets et culture matérielle) de ce colloque sur l’artisanat d’argile. L’approche technologique, contextuelle et stylistique croisée donne lieu à une investigation originale sur la chaîne opératoire mise en œuvre pour la conception de vases de stockage, de l’extraction d’argile jusqu’à la cuisson d’objets finis, afin d’apporter des clés de lecture à l’organisation, aux acteurs et aux traditions des espaces artisanales à l’âge du Fer en Italie méridionale et plus généralement au sein du bassin méditerranéen.
Conference Presentations by Chantal Willborn
EEPB 2024 Programme
Archaeologists have always strived to understand the origins and characteristics of the people th... more Archaeologists have always strived to understand the origins and characteristics of the people they study. In doing so, they inevitably create Identities of past individuals, groups and cultures. These Identities are usually based on various factors such as gender, sex, ethnicity, race, religion or social status. However, recent studies have highlighted that Identity is a highly intricate and fluid concept that goes beyond often-used binary concepts.
In the Humanities, Identity is a highly complex and multifaceted concept that is defined in various ways by ethnographic, historical, sociological, psychological and philosophical approaches. In anthropology, for instance, Identity has been a frequently used term to describe the idea of selfhood, often in reference to Eriksonian concepts. This refers to the individual properties that make a person unique and distinct from others. Stuart Hall, on the other hand, proposes that Identity should be viewed as a process in order to acknowledge the reality of diverse and constantly evolving social experiences.
In the field of archaeology, Identities are often sketched out on the scale of protohistoric communities through settlement studies and material culture. However, thanks to new approaches in material studies and modern techniques like a-DNA analysis, isotopes, nanoLC-MS/MS and biological anthropology, we might be able to shed new light on past Identities. The human body, which can be an essential medium to express one’s personhood, social status, belonging or detachment from cultural groups, is becoming a new object of study from which we may be able to rewrite protohistoric biographies. Studying past Identities is not limited to individuals alone but can also be examined through socio-economic, ideological and environmental factors that influence groups and cultures. For instance, access to resources and knowledge, hierarchical systems, and inherent inequality can shape collective Identity.
Can we utilize settlement, migration, ethnographical, historical and landscape studies to redefine protohistoric Identities and territories?
Another point to consider is that the study of Identity is often influenced by researchers’ economic, social, and ideological backgrounds or agendas, which can distort our perception of past Identities. These biases can arise from the creation of archaeological research programmes all the way through to popularization and communication with the general public, in which different concepts of Identity can be conveyed. In this regard, our aim is to critically reflect on how research institutions across Europe are developing and communicating different concepts of Identity to the general public.
As archaeologists, our understanding of the past heavily relies on objects and contexts. However, it is important to pause and reflect on whether and how these sources can truly represent the Identities of past individuals and groups. Moreover, we have to ask ourselves, can we confidently create narratives about past Identities, and how much of these created narratives are simply a reflection of our Self? In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to thoroughly discuss the concept of Identity and its definition. We will delve into how this topic was approached in past archaeological research, explore our (in-)ability to create past Identities and determine if we possess the necessary tools to communicate these past Identities to the general public.
Save the Date. (Un-) bordered Identities. The creation of Identity in Protohistoric Europe, 2024
Save the Date for next year's Doctoral Meeting in Bibracte at the Ecole Européenne de Protohistoi... more Save the Date for next year's Doctoral Meeting in Bibracte at the Ecole Européenne de Protohistoire de Bibracte. The conference for the tenth anniversary of the EEPB will deal with the following topic : (Un-) bordered Identities. The creation of Identity in Protohistoric Europe. For this scientific event 4 sessions are planned : 1) Borders of the Body 2) Borders of Production and Consumption 3) Borders of Space 4) Borders of the Mind. The EEPB will send soon a Call for Paper with more information on the sessions within the next few months.
Uploads
Talks by Chantal Willborn
Within the colonial phenomena in the Mediterranean, we witness the arrival of the first transport amphorae and Greek pithoi in southern Italy from the first half of the 8th century BC and the local production of these vessels. Within these trans-Mediterranean networks, this paper is dedicated to the analysis of two major deposits, making it possible to articulate ceramic data with the historical-economic and artisanal environment: Incoronata (Basilicata) and Megara Hyblaea (Sicily). On the one hand, the occupation of Incoronata (9th to 7th century BC) was characterized by a chronological period preceding the Greek colonization of the Italian peninsula in an indigenous and Greco-indigenous context, as well as by the artisanal activity of a pottery workshop. On the other hand, the Greek settlement of Megara Hyblaea (founded in 728 BC by Megarians of Greece) provides comparative data to the examination of imported and imitated Greek productions from funeral contexts. As one of the two most important deposits of amphora and pithoi currently known in southern Italy and Sicily, these sites are ideal laboratories for the exploration of the benefits and limitations of a technological study of two types of production, thanks to a mixed approach intersecting archaeology, anthropology and ethnography.
Little included in traditional ceramic studies because of the scarcity of painted decorations, their low variability in shapes and their advanced state of fragmentation, these productions lend themselves particularly well to a technological study on a macro- and micro-scale. The presence of direct and indirect archaeological evidence (firing structures, miss fired ceramics) attest the production of storage vessels on the hill of Incoronata within an indigenous artisanal area active between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. From the 7th century onwards, Greek artisans were welcomed, allowing us to address the problem of the technical identities of their craftsmen with highly specialized and mastered know-how. Likewise, the deposit of Megara Hyblaea makes us discover Greek and Aegean pottery techniques, through imported ceramics, as well as a local signature, thanks to the discovery of vases of Greek inspiration. In contexts of ritual and productive reception, where Greek and non-Greek individuals met, the production technique is studied as the set of choices made by potters – a means of expressing their intellectual baggage, acquired within learning systems specific to a community.
The aim of this intervention is to contribute to the reflection around the construction of craftsmen identities of potter communities in European protohistory through the example of the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, the chosen data set aims to provide new observations for the study of this heuristic terrain within the organisation of Greek and indigenous craft spaces, the transmission of technical traditions, their actors and the practices with which they shape and model their identity/identities.
The tenth Doctoral Encounters of the European School of Protohistory of Bibracte (EEPB) will take place from 14 to 16 March 2024, followed by a workshop on scientific communication on 18 March, at the European Archaeological Centre of Bibracte in Burgundy. Since 2015, these Meetings have brought together PhD students and young doctors working on research issues common to European Protohistory. We are pleased to invite early career researchers to submit a contribution on the following theme: "Identity and the Self. How archaeology creates protohistorical identities". Contributions may be made in the form of an oral presentation (20 minutes) or a poster (5 minutes oral presentation) and proposals must be submitted no later than December 15, 2023.
Conference Presentations by Chantal Willborn
In the Humanities, Identity is a highly complex and multifaceted concept that is defined in various ways by ethnographic, historical, sociological, psychological and philosophical approaches. In anthropology, for instance, Identity has been a frequently used term to describe the idea of selfhood, often in reference to Eriksonian concepts. This refers to the individual properties that make a person unique and distinct from others. Stuart Hall, on the other hand, proposes that Identity should be viewed as a process in order to acknowledge the reality of diverse and constantly evolving social experiences.
In the field of archaeology, Identities are often sketched out on the scale of protohistoric communities through settlement studies and material culture. However, thanks to new approaches in material studies and modern techniques like a-DNA analysis, isotopes, nanoLC-MS/MS and biological anthropology, we might be able to shed new light on past Identities. The human body, which can be an essential medium to express one’s personhood, social status, belonging or detachment from cultural groups, is becoming a new object of study from which we may be able to rewrite protohistoric biographies. Studying past Identities is not limited to individuals alone but can also be examined through socio-economic, ideological and environmental factors that influence groups and cultures. For instance, access to resources and knowledge, hierarchical systems, and inherent inequality can shape collective Identity.
Can we utilize settlement, migration, ethnographical, historical and landscape studies to redefine protohistoric Identities and territories?
Another point to consider is that the study of Identity is often influenced by researchers’ economic, social, and ideological backgrounds or agendas, which can distort our perception of past Identities. These biases can arise from the creation of archaeological research programmes all the way through to popularization and communication with the general public, in which different concepts of Identity can be conveyed. In this regard, our aim is to critically reflect on how research institutions across Europe are developing and communicating different concepts of Identity to the general public.
As archaeologists, our understanding of the past heavily relies on objects and contexts. However, it is important to pause and reflect on whether and how these sources can truly represent the Identities of past individuals and groups. Moreover, we have to ask ourselves, can we confidently create narratives about past Identities, and how much of these created narratives are simply a reflection of our Self? In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to thoroughly discuss the concept of Identity and its definition. We will delve into how this topic was approached in past archaeological research, explore our (in-)ability to create past Identities and determine if we possess the necessary tools to communicate these past Identities to the general public.
Within the colonial phenomena in the Mediterranean, we witness the arrival of the first transport amphorae and Greek pithoi in southern Italy from the first half of the 8th century BC and the local production of these vessels. Within these trans-Mediterranean networks, this paper is dedicated to the analysis of two major deposits, making it possible to articulate ceramic data with the historical-economic and artisanal environment: Incoronata (Basilicata) and Megara Hyblaea (Sicily). On the one hand, the occupation of Incoronata (9th to 7th century BC) was characterized by a chronological period preceding the Greek colonization of the Italian peninsula in an indigenous and Greco-indigenous context, as well as by the artisanal activity of a pottery workshop. On the other hand, the Greek settlement of Megara Hyblaea (founded in 728 BC by Megarians of Greece) provides comparative data to the examination of imported and imitated Greek productions from funeral contexts. As one of the two most important deposits of amphora and pithoi currently known in southern Italy and Sicily, these sites are ideal laboratories for the exploration of the benefits and limitations of a technological study of two types of production, thanks to a mixed approach intersecting archaeology, anthropology and ethnography.
Little included in traditional ceramic studies because of the scarcity of painted decorations, their low variability in shapes and their advanced state of fragmentation, these productions lend themselves particularly well to a technological study on a macro- and micro-scale. The presence of direct and indirect archaeological evidence (firing structures, miss fired ceramics) attest the production of storage vessels on the hill of Incoronata within an indigenous artisanal area active between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. From the 7th century onwards, Greek artisans were welcomed, allowing us to address the problem of the technical identities of their craftsmen with highly specialized and mastered know-how. Likewise, the deposit of Megara Hyblaea makes us discover Greek and Aegean pottery techniques, through imported ceramics, as well as a local signature, thanks to the discovery of vases of Greek inspiration. In contexts of ritual and productive reception, where Greek and non-Greek individuals met, the production technique is studied as the set of choices made by potters – a means of expressing their intellectual baggage, acquired within learning systems specific to a community.
The aim of this intervention is to contribute to the reflection around the construction of craftsmen identities of potter communities in European protohistory through the example of the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, the chosen data set aims to provide new observations for the study of this heuristic terrain within the organisation of Greek and indigenous craft spaces, the transmission of technical traditions, their actors and the practices with which they shape and model their identity/identities.
The tenth Doctoral Encounters of the European School of Protohistory of Bibracte (EEPB) will take place from 14 to 16 March 2024, followed by a workshop on scientific communication on 18 March, at the European Archaeological Centre of Bibracte in Burgundy. Since 2015, these Meetings have brought together PhD students and young doctors working on research issues common to European Protohistory. We are pleased to invite early career researchers to submit a contribution on the following theme: "Identity and the Self. How archaeology creates protohistorical identities". Contributions may be made in the form of an oral presentation (20 minutes) or a poster (5 minutes oral presentation) and proposals must be submitted no later than December 15, 2023.
In the Humanities, Identity is a highly complex and multifaceted concept that is defined in various ways by ethnographic, historical, sociological, psychological and philosophical approaches. In anthropology, for instance, Identity has been a frequently used term to describe the idea of selfhood, often in reference to Eriksonian concepts. This refers to the individual properties that make a person unique and distinct from others. Stuart Hall, on the other hand, proposes that Identity should be viewed as a process in order to acknowledge the reality of diverse and constantly evolving social experiences.
In the field of archaeology, Identities are often sketched out on the scale of protohistoric communities through settlement studies and material culture. However, thanks to new approaches in material studies and modern techniques like a-DNA analysis, isotopes, nanoLC-MS/MS and biological anthropology, we might be able to shed new light on past Identities. The human body, which can be an essential medium to express one’s personhood, social status, belonging or detachment from cultural groups, is becoming a new object of study from which we may be able to rewrite protohistoric biographies. Studying past Identities is not limited to individuals alone but can also be examined through socio-economic, ideological and environmental factors that influence groups and cultures. For instance, access to resources and knowledge, hierarchical systems, and inherent inequality can shape collective Identity.
Can we utilize settlement, migration, ethnographical, historical and landscape studies to redefine protohistoric Identities and territories?
Another point to consider is that the study of Identity is often influenced by researchers’ economic, social, and ideological backgrounds or agendas, which can distort our perception of past Identities. These biases can arise from the creation of archaeological research programmes all the way through to popularization and communication with the general public, in which different concepts of Identity can be conveyed. In this regard, our aim is to critically reflect on how research institutions across Europe are developing and communicating different concepts of Identity to the general public.
As archaeologists, our understanding of the past heavily relies on objects and contexts. However, it is important to pause and reflect on whether and how these sources can truly represent the Identities of past individuals and groups. Moreover, we have to ask ourselves, can we confidently create narratives about past Identities, and how much of these created narratives are simply a reflection of our Self? In this Doctoral Meeting, we aim to thoroughly discuss the concept of Identity and its definition. We will delve into how this topic was approached in past archaeological research, explore our (in-)ability to create past Identities and determine if we possess the necessary tools to communicate these past Identities to the general public.